The Sun and the Spear
by C. Geng
Summary: Leona and Pantheon have always been close childhood friends. In a world of combat among the Rakkor, they often find solace in each other's company. But when conflict arises among the tribesmen, can they preserve the bond that they've built? Or will the things that hold them together shatter? Follow them as they embark on a journey among Runterra's many characters. [Temp. Hiatus]
1. Recognition

**Authors Note:** A quick note for the context of the story; the plot is **loosely** based around the old lore between Pantheon and Leona. Not a very long time ago, Riot changed and revised some champion lores. Personally, I found the new lore for Panth and Leo to be too specific to draw up your own concepts, so we're sticking to the originals. Enjoy.

 _Vulnerability is the essence of romance. It's the art of being uncalculated, the willingness to look foolish, the courage to say, 'This is me, and I'm interested in you enough to show you my flaws with the hope that you may embrace me for all that I am but, more important, all that I am not.'_

 _-Ashton Kutcher_

…

High upon the mountains, there is a place known as Mount Targon. Here, the young children of each generation are embroiled in the art of war, learning the ancient traditions and customs from a very early age. For the tribes of the Rakkor, war and combat is what give meaning to their life.

And on this particular hazy morning, a clang of metal rang out across the tall jagged peaks of Mount Targon. A young man with short brown hair and a warrior with dazzlingly orange locks sparred among the rocks of the makeshift arena on the upper slopes of the fabled mountain. Though these two were of the same age, it was clear that the young man's sparring abilities were slightly more developed and more agile than the girl's. Nonetheless, the two fought with equal intensity, swords clashing against shields and bodies rolled on the dirt to avoid the jagged end of a spear.

Their blades crashed, the intense dance of combat between the two warriors seemed endless. They matched each other, blow for blow, and each one unwilling to yield to the other.

But suddenly, the boy maneuvered quickly through a strike from his opponent, ducking under the swing as he brought his own weapon down upon her neck. He had moved so quickly that the young woman was thrown off balance, her strikes, relentless only a moment ago, now utterly defenseless. Left with little time to react, she could do nothing as she watched the gleam of the steel rapidly approach her vital point.

But just as quickly as it had begun its strike, the sharp blade ceased abruptly to move any further, simply resting upon the nape of her neck. For a moment, no one spoke. They stood still, temporarily frozen in that moment.

He glanced at her, a rare hint of a faint smile playing across his face, a short phrase uttered in the silence. "It looks like I win. You have no escape."

But the young woman only shook her head in response. "I don't think so Pantheon. Look here." She shifted her position to reveal a dagger clutched in her hand, poised to strike into his chest cavity. It rested just as close to his heart as his blade rested upon her jugular. If it had been a fight on the battlefield, there was little doubt that the exchange would have been a mutual death. Leona grinned, "Not as smooth of a victory as you thought."

"Perhaps that may be so. But you have always underestimated your own strength Leona," Pantheon responded as he removed his sword, offering a hand to Leona. "If only you applied the same ferocity to sparring all other members in the Rakkor, you would easily ascend to a high position among ourselves. But your kindness too often limits you."

Leona frowned at the remark, opening her mouth to respond. But Pantheon could see the conflict and confusion in her eyes, and waved her response away with a flick of his hand. There was no need for them to delve into such an argument now. It would only delay the objective they had set out to complete. And now, the date of their trial approached with a rapid speed.

For innumerable suns, they had been preparing for the Rite of Kor together, for when they had to fight one of their peers to the death for the right to bear the ancient weapons held in possession among the Rakkor. Nearly all members of the Rakkor spent a large portion of their lives devoted to the sacred art of war, training unceasingly every day. But as only the best of the young Rakkorians were selected to participate, the Rite of Kor and its prizes were seen to be a great honor among the many warriors. Unsurprisingly, both Pantheon and Leona had been chosen to fight, their combat abilities far differentiating them from their peers. Though each and every member of the Rakkor was certainly bred for the heat and thrill of the battle, they far exceeded the capacity of even the standard Rakkorian warrior.

Pantheon and Leona were both slated to become great warriors among the Rakkor in their futures and none doubted that they would be invaluable assets to the tribe. But although their skillset was very similar and companionship very close, their mentality could not be more different. Whereas Pantheon was nearly indifferent on hunting and cutting down those who threatened his tribe's wellbeing or even simply for a challenge, Leona was the polar opposite. Though she had been proven to be a very deadly fighter, her unwillingness to fight her peers among the tribe often led her to be scolded, especially among the Rakkorian elders. Leona, rather than pursue the heat of the battle, preferred to defend those around her and protect.

Pantheon strapped his sword to his hip as he pulled Leona from up from the dirt.

"Let's head back to the camp." Pantheon said quietly as he glanced at the darkening horizon, "It's already getting quite dark and we already have had a decent amount of training. The Rite of Kor is rapidly approaching and it will not do us any good to over train ourselves."

Leona, pulling herself up, nodded in agreement. She dusted off the dirt and grime that had covered her during their sparring. Sparring with one of the greatest warriors in a tribe dedicated to the very essence of combat wasn't exactly what one could call easy.

"Fair enough. Let's head back then."

They walked back to the large Rakkor camp that lay nearby, the gravel crunching under their boots. As they neared, Pantheon cast a unusual sideways glance at Leona, which she noticed immediately.

"What's wrong?" she asked cautiously. Pantheon halted and turned to face her, staring into those amber eyes. Though they had a trace of caution in them, they were filled with something often short in demand among many members tribe; kindness. Rare and beautiful, yet Pantheon knew that very same nature would likely cause her own death. Her own conviction and strength could very soon seal her fate. She was a person of her values, always stubbornly abiding by them, but regardless... _He had to attempt to warn her against her own stubbornness_.

Pantheon stopped, staring at the horizon, the setting sun bathing the sky in glowing colors. Nervously gripping the gnarled leather on his sword, he turned to face the young woman beside him. Although it was difficult to say for sure, Pantheon felt a sensation in his gut that this was a crucial moment in the crossroads of Leona's future. Though he already knew the likely answer, he spoke.

"Leona," he began, "I know you value protecting your peers rather than to destroy. It is a something that has helped you to create your many friendships among our people. But for the Rite of Kor Leona, there is no place for kindness in combat. No matter how forgiving you are to any of your opponents, they will not hesitate to strike you down. It's time for you to fight to your fullest."

Leona grimaced, her normally beautiful features contorting, "Pantheon…. You already how I feel about this. I will not harm the other combatant. We'll make it a draw and it can be a victory for both of us. Nobody from our tribe has to die like all of the others. Just because it's always been the tradition does not mean it cannot change for us."

Pantheon shook his head sadly, "Leona, the elders will not allow that to happen. There has always been only one victor in the Rite and that's the way it has always been. There is no other choice. You can't be too kind; at least not now. For the sake of the many you will save in the future, you must strike this one down for the present." Pantheon lowered his voice, "Besides, though many others have scolded you before, seeing you die after so much would be quite cruel for many of us."

Though she initially frowned at the implications he made, Leona nodded slowly in a reluctant agreement. He had a point. Leona had her own aspirations and she wasn't going to be able to achieve them if she was dead. And it was quite true that the Rakkorian elders were very inflexible towards the path of tradition. They always upheld the rules of the Rite, no matter the skill or prominence of a warrior, their tradition must be maintained.

It also wasn't the first time Leona had been lectured on this topic. The Rakkor elders and even her own parents had constantly warned her as well. It had become one of her ailing flaws in an otherwise lethal arsenal of a warrior, but she had always been able to cope with it. Rather than crumble to the adversity that had attempted to cut down her values, it had only solidified her conviction, furthering her own beliefs rather than conform to those around her.

Yet Pantheon wasn't exactly the type of person to warm up to anyone or give them advice. Though he was very well respected for being an early prodigy of the art of war, he could nearly be categorized as a loner among his peers; with the exception of her. If he did not train with Leona, then he would hone his skills alone among the rocks of Mount Targon. No other member in the Rakkor had anywhere close to a relationship as Leona did with him. Although Pantheon certainly addressed his fellow Rakkor, he had always distanced himself, never forming deeper bonds with any of them. All in all, it was exceedingly rare for Pantheon to openly show a concern for others, even for Leona…and well, it certainly caught her attention. Though she was conflicted, she knew it was purely out of concern that Pantheon would break his image of stoniness.

"I… I guess I understand Pantheon. I will do what I have to do when the time comes."

Pantheon nodded in satisfaction. Though he hadn't exactly gotten a promise from her, she was at least undertaking to the reason he had placed before her. This was as likely as far as he could get with her ideology so set in stone. It was no easy feat for even himself to mount her mountain of conviction. It would be better for him to stop here than to push her too far; at least for the time being.

"Very well." He bumped her lightly with his shield. "Let's get back."

She bumped him back slightly, reciprocating his actions. Walking side by side, weapons and shields in hand, the two resumed their walk along their dirt path in silence once more. Moving through the fading rays of aged sunlight, the two figures trudged towards the camp in the distance.

 _You must survive Leona._

…

 _Notes:_

 _The Rakkor spend most of their time training for war, and not a whole lot of time for education, so we can assume that their speech probably isn't_ ** _super_** _intelligent, but fairly coherent. Leona's speech is probably better than Panth's as he's not exactly too strong in the interpersonal category._

 _Hate it? Love it? Want to strangle me with rope? Leave a review to let me know how I did!_

 _Until next time._

 _ **-Geng**_


	2. Visions

Water droplets splashed into a large basin as Leona washed the streaks of grime and dirt from her face and the rest of her body. Stepping out of the small compartment that served as her bath, she dried her sore body and redressed herself in clothes less warlike than the armor she donned during combat. Dressing in a tunic and a set of loose pants, Leona opened the door that lead from the small bath section of her modest dwelling and walked slowly to her bed. Slowly, she laid her exhausted body among the covers.

The Rite of Rakkor was tomorrow. Finally, the day had come in which she would have to make the most of the years of training with Pantheon. The day in which she would have to temporarily forsake her very own ideals by shedding the blood one of her own tribesmen. She could not help but feel doubt arise in her mind whenever she thought about carrying out the deed. Though Pantheon had given her a very grave warning about the importance to compromise her values solely for this occasion several days ago, she could not help but feel nervous and conflicted. On one hand, the realistic side of her knew that the Rakkorian elders would, without a doubt, put her to death should she refuse to follow the traditions of the Rite. Pantheon had confirmed it and she had already heard enough from her parents to know it would be a gruesome fate to suffer. The age-old Rakkorian traditions would not be broken so easily.

But she could not help but feel a glimmer of hopefulness about a possible change. She was, after all, considered to be one of the most well versed Rakkor in combat for several generations, right behind Pantheon. Would the elders really destroy such talent that rarely appeared? Wouldn't such destruction violate the mantra of preserving the best students who mastered the art of war?

Leona groaned and rubbed her temples.

There were simply just too many questions running through her head right now. It certainly would not do her any good to ponder them now; she would deal with her problems as they arose. But right now, she simply needed sleep to refocus her mind. Shaking her head to clear the images from her mind, Leona extinguished the candle by her bedside and closed her eyes, slowly falling into a peaceful slumber.

But as she slept, an image of a bright sun shimmering proudly among the peaks of Mount Targon would not leave her mind. A large bird extended its expanse wings, catching the expanse of the sunlight among its plumage. With each moment, its rays shone brighter and brighter until she could see nothing at all…

* * *

Pantheon watched the light go out in Leona's hut from a distance. Wrapped in a dark cloak, he gazed a moment longer at the small building in the distance before silently turning away, the gravel crunching beneath his feet. He walked in the general direction of his own hut but stopped to gaze at the silken night sky, admiring the stars that shimmered through the blanket of darkness. He drew in a deep breath of the cold mountain air, filling his lungs with very needed oxygen, sighing as he exhaled.

"Can't sleep my boy?"

Pantheon turned to the voice. From the shadows a man emerged, also shrouded in a dark cloak and the shadows from the mountain tops. Yet unlike Pantheon, this man carried himself with the step of one who had seen and experienced many suns of war rather than one of an ambitious and aspiring warrior.

"Elder Aurelius" Pantheon bowed respectfully, "It is good to see you. Though, it is strange to for you to be out among the tribesmen this late at night."

Aurelius chuckled lightly, "The same could easily be said for you young one. Are you not participating in the Rite tomorrow? You should be resting and preparing for it no? Though, I do have a feeling you will not encounter too much trouble."

Pantheon shifted uncomfortably, casting a quick glance at Leona's dark hut in the distant background. "Well...it is not my own fate that has kept me awake and about," He began apprehensively, "The customs performed in the Rite of Kor do not bother me. I am confident that I can defeat any who are opposed to me. But rather, I worry about another who I fear will not survive the trial."

Elder Aurelius looked questioningly towards the hut in which Pantheon had placed his gaze. "Is it that fellow Rakkorian that you fear for? If I do recall, that young woman's name who resides there is Leona, a fearsome fighter even among ourselves. I've even heard rumors that her prowess was equal to yours; certainly no easy feat to achieve. Why would you be worried abou-"

Suddenly, understanding dawned on the elder's face, "I see now. She is the one that all of the other elders have informed me about. The one who often refuses to seriously wound her own comrades, even in the face of her own degradation. The one who would rather raise her shield than throw a spear. She is interestingly unique and strong in her ideals, something that I can certainly respect. She is also one of your only close companions is she not?"

Pantheon nodded slowly. Elder Aurelius was one of the few Rakkorian mentors who had never critiqued Leona for her diverging ideas among the tribe. In fact, he had often quietly applauded Leona's bravery and conviction to stand by her different ideals. Aurelius was unafraid to recognize the bravery among her choice to dissent, even if the recognition was very unpopular among the other elders. It was for this reason that Pantheon often talked to and confided in Aurelius rather than the other leaders of the Rakkor. For Pantheon, Elder Aurelius often served as a beacon of reason and understanding among the midst of the occasional madness that combat brought down upon him. He always willing to listen to Pantheon as a human rather than a paragon of war. Though Aurelius could resort to combat just as well as the any Rakkorian, he often took to reasoning with others rather than draw arms.

Aurelius turned quietly to look at the arena where the Rite was to take place tomorrow. A tribe-wide spectacle, many would come to see the birthing and recognition of the Rakkor's strongest warriors.

"I can understand your concern. And you believe she intends to purposely forfeit the fight in order to uphold the creed of her beliefs?"

Pantheon grunted in confirmation. "I've already given her a deep of a warning as I could. Leona seemed to understand then, but it's doubtful she would truly act on those words." Pantheon fingered his sword worriedly, looking at the Rakkorian elder directly in the eye, crimson eyes meeting dark ones.

"Leona may be hopeful, but I am able to see the reality of the situation as it is. The other elders will uphold the tradition of death for those who refuse to finish their opponents. I cannot and will not let her die such a cruel death, Elder Aurelius. Her parents may and her so called comrades may abide by the tradition, but I will not stand idly by as she is cut down like an animal. If they would end her life, they would have to take the brunt of my fury first."

Pantheon's clenched his jaw tightly, his teeth grinding together as his words jumbled to a stop. He did not understand why he suddenly felt so strongly about Leona's fate. She was his companion of course, but he was a symbol of Rakkor tradition. Pantheon was supposed to be a model figure for many elite warriors among the tribe. Would he break the very rules that molded him and made him what he was simply for her sake? If he did, it could create pandemonium among the other warriors as well, which in turn could lead to chaos and disorder. Additionally, Pantheon had always believed that the strongest would survive and the weak would die; such was the natural belief of things among many Rakkor. If Leona died in the trial, wouldn't that mean she was not strong enough to deserve life? But for some strange reason, Pantheon had a deep sensation that this was a completely different circumstance altogether. Though he was unable to exactly pinpoint the reason for his belief, he knew it was of great importance for him to follow it. It was fine if he did not know the reason for it now; that could come later. For now, it was vital for him to embrace the impulses that resonated.

Elder Aurelius stroked his beard thoughtfully at Pantheon's outburst.

 _Such a strange occurrence for such a normally calm warrior. Truly, it seems that their companionship could blossom into so much more. Though, it is somewhat early for either of them to truly identify it the causes of it._

He hid a small smile at the thought. Returning his mind to the issue at hand, Aurelius placed a gentle hand on the young man's shoulder.

"Very well Pantheon, I understand the severity of your position. What would you have me do to assist you? It certainly would not be beneficial to have you fighting members of the Rakkor. You are, after all, slated to be a leader among our people."

Pantheon slowly relaxed, the tension in his jaw slowly eased as he pondered for a moment, then quietly asked, "I do have faith in Leona that she will carry out and complete her trial. But the possibility still exists she would not. If that situation occurs, I have one thing to ask of you."

Pantheon paused and glanced warily at the elder. What he was about to ask was going to sound very insane. It was likely that Aurelius would reject what he had to ask of him. But regardless, Pantheon pushed forward with this request.

He took a breath to steady himself.

"If that situation should happen, would you be willing to use your power to stop the other elders from carrying out the execution of Leona?"

Aurelius's gray brows furrowed deeply at the question. It was, without a doubt, a very demanding request. Elders had always upheld the tradition, and dissent was unheard of in the entire history of the Rakkorian elders during the Rite. It had never **ever** been done before. It was likely that no one would even know what to do if Aurelius did dissent; simply because no one had even bothered to address that part of Rakkorian regulations. But, if he did push against the norms of the Rite, there was a chance that it could be successful. He was an influential leader among many of the Rakkor and he wielded substantial political power. And there could always be a first time for everything. Besides, risking confusion among tradition to save these two great generational warriors seemed worthy of the risk.

"Very well," Aurelius conceded after several tense minutes, "I shall protect your companion should the need arise. I believe I can persuade the other elders to behold reason in my argument. No need to fret, your companion will be safe my boy."

Ina rare gesture of deep gratitude, a very humbled and somewhat surprised Pantheon bowed his head deeply.

"Thank you for your assurance and assistance Elder Aurelius. I recognize that it is difficult to make a decision such as the one you have made so easily for me right now. I will never forget what you have done for me on this night. Your reason has once again come to my aid. You shall have my loyalty and my respect for a lifetime."

The elder chuckled once more, "Very well Pantheon, I shall keep that in mind. But you should give your abiding loyalty only when I have fulfilled my promise no? No need to be too rash. But that is beside the point. It is quite late. It's important to return home and rest for the battle tomorrow, even for one as skilled as you."

Pantheon stood and nodded. "Very well. I shall see you tomorrow at the Rite."

He turned to leave, the gravel crunching once more underneath his sandals. As he distanced himself from the elder, he heard the elder call his name once more.

"Oh, and Pantheon."

Pantheon turned towards the elder once more. Aurelius looked at him with a look of what could be nearly described as amusement.

"You've realized it haven't you? Or is it still beyond your sight?"

Pantheon frowned in confusion, "What are you talking about Elder Aurelius?"

The old man smiled broadly to himself as he turned away and gazed the dark sky, but spoke just loudly enough for the warrior to hear him.

"Why do you think you struggle so much to secure Leona's future but no one else's? Why do you go such lengths, risking your own being for her? I would assume someone such as yourself would be clever enough to know what is happening to you. Isn't is obvious my boy?"

"I…I still don't understand. What are you saying?"

Aurelius could not repress his smile at Pantheon's obliviousness.

"Don't you see? You're in love with her Pantheon."

He froze, shock at the Elder's words paralyzing his body, the normally level headed warrior's face lighting ablaze as words stuck uselessly to his tongue.

 _What?!_

He could only watch in a confused daze as he Aurelius disappeared into the shadows of the night.

 _I'm in…love? What in Targon does he mean by that?!_

* * *

Pantheon lay quietly in the darkness of his quarters. He gazed absentmindedly at the dents and scratches on the sword and shield that leaned against the wall near the foot of his bed. Tomorrow, one way or another, he would decide his course of fate during the Rite and the honors that would be bestowed upon him.

But other things laid heavy on his mind. He could not stop himself from replaying the Elder's words in his head over and over again. It was as if the very act of speaking those words had etched themselves into the core of his mind.

" _Don't you see? You're in love."_

 _"In love_ _Pantheon"_

He shook his head. _Bah. Elder Aurelius does not make any sense. Love? Between me and her? Perhaps the Elder has truly gone senile. There is no so called "love" exchanged between us. Besides, I am only a training companion to her. Someone to assist her in honing her skills as a warrior. Nothing more. Nothing less._

For some reason, the very thought pricked at him, and a surge of strangely unexpected dissatisfaction welled in his chest at the things that ran through his mind. The thoughts ate at him, causing turmoil among the things jumbled in his head.

Enough was enough. Pantheon pulled the covers above his head and successfully shook away the thoughts that the elder had planted within him. For now, he should focus on the task at hand; a task that was becoming a reality with every passing minute, unlike the new situation which he had encountered. Tomorrow, he would find whether or not that task would present itself to him. Leona's time of reckoning was quickly approaching; and he would see to it that she came of out of it with the glory and honor that she deserved.

But as Pantheon slept, he could not shake a feeling of foreboding, as if something or _someone_ was slowly emerging from an unknown place. It was like the cold breeze in the winter that often sifted among the cracks in his armor and chilled his bones to their very being. It was slow, yet it was relentless, slowly moving among every weakness until it found the perfect point to penetrate. The thing moved inhumanly, light shining upon its exterior, yet Pantheon could sense a undeniable presence of malice behind the facade. He heard the familiar clashing of blades around him, and the sound of the defeated being vanquished underneath the force of the metal. Then, there was nothing but silence and an all consuming blackness around him. But as a slumber enveloped Pantheon in its embrace, he heard an unmistakable cry rip through the sphere of silence.

 _Leona..._

* * *

 _ **Author's Headcanons and Notes:**_

 _ **Pantheon might be one hell of a warrior, but we all know he's clueless when it comes to defining and recognizing relationships among his peers. I mean c'mon, he spends all of his time training. Leona would be similar as well ,though she is more attuned to the feelings of those around her given her ideals. And of course, Aurelius is the cool old mentor all great main characters need!**_

 _ **Please leave a review to et me know if you are enjoying the story so far or have something you want to say!** **I would love to know what you think and the feedback is great.**_

 _ **A thank you to those who have come to support me so far :). It's great motivation for me to know that you guys really enjoy my story. I appreciate you guys and your reviews from the bottom of my heart.**_

 _ **-Until next time,**_

 _ **C. Geng**_


	3. Remembrance

_Hey Friends!_

 _Thanks so much for the support so far, especially to everyone who gave me feedback on the story. This chapter is a bit longer as we're approaching a sort of crucial point. Chapters in the future will gradually transition to more plot styled text, rather than backstory backboned structure I'm leaning on now. I'll also attempt to incorporate some humor possibly as the plot progresses right now. Chapters will also be longer, but they will take a bit longer to write._

 _Anyways, it would mean alot to me if you guys could review it and let me know what I did well or what I could improve on so we can all make this story better as it progresses. I hope to make this story as good as it can get of all the readers who come out to support. Anyways, enough of my blabbering, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!_

* * *

The wind breezed smoothly through the sunny afternoon, gently brushing against the huts and the trees. Sunlight slanted across the rocks and the windows, illuminating the dwellings of the Rakkor. Though everything seemed to be at ease, the day was far from an idyllic peace.

Pantheon leaned against a stone wall, the slab of rock cool against his skin as he closed his eyes.

As expected, his ritual was passed with ease, almost shaming the reputation of difficulty that the Rite of Kor had accumulated throughout the years.

It had been swift. Pantheon had been placed against another young Rakkorian fighter known as Cassius. By all standards, Cassius was certainly a brave and adaptive warrior among the Rakkor, but the gap of combat ability between Pantheon and him was simply too great to bridge. It was clear that he was a strong warrior, but under the expanse of Pantheon's immense prowess, he was reduced to nothing more than mere fodder.

The match itself, could have been nearly described as almost pitiful. Though Cassius had tried as hard as humanly possible to hold out against Pantheon's onslaught, it was simply too much for the lesser warrior to withstand. The seemingly endless flurry of strikes and blows bore down on the young Rakkorian, until his own feet and the muscles in his arms gave out beneath him and he lay breathless on the dirt beneath their feet. But for his valiant performance, Pantheon had granted him honorable and quick death, quickly ending his life with a slash of his sword.

Pantheon, no stranger to blood and death, was not bothered by what he had done. It was not of his choice to kill Cassius, but it was simply a tradition that he had to complete. For a paragon such as himself, he could not be concerned over such trivial things.

But what had shaken Pantheon was his recall of solemn-faced Leona standing among the other Rite candidates, watching him as he stood triumphantly above the body of the slain Cassius. What she felt, he did not know, but Pantheon knew Leona well enough that many thoughts were scrambling through her mind. But what direction the revelation would steer her still remained to be seen.…

Pantheon's eyes snapped open as he heard the footsteps of several Rakkorian guards approach him. One of them, a large and brutish warrior, cloaked in the ceremonial armor of the Rakkorian Elder Guard, signaled for Pantheon to follow them.

Following in silence, the small group ascended the set of stone stairs, stopping in front of a pair of large wooden double doors.

They led him to a marble platform, which was above the arena where he had fought his Rite of Kor. The giant guard gestured at Pantheon once more, signaling him to step forward. Glancing around him, Pantheon slowly walked and came to a rest in the center of the marble white plateau. He noticed the Elders were converged in a semi-circle, sitting only a few meters away from where he stood. From his position, Pantheon could make out the faces of several of the Elders he knew, among them, the face of Elder Aurelius who gave him a small nod of recognition. Pantheon also had a clear view of the large expanse of the other Rakkor that had come to spectate the Rite. Hundreds of Rakkorians had crowded into the arena, eager to see the emergence of the tribe's strongest fighters. Men, women, and children alike all watched the Trials in a trance of fearful admiration.

The crowd of Rakkorian spectators stood silent as Pantheon knelt before the council of Elders. There was a tense moment, as Pantheon felt the eyes of several Elders burn themselves onto his head, as if they intended to rip the thoughts from huis brain by sheer willpower. Then, an Elder wrapped in a white robe in the center of the group spoke first, a gravelly tone booming across the arena, making its voice heard clearly to all in the arena.

" **Rise, warrior of the Rakkor**."

Pantheon lifted his head, rising to his full stature as he stood to face the Elders once more.

" **It is with great honor that we congratulate you for successfully completing the Rite of Kor. You have proven yourself beyond a doubt that you are worthy to wield the relics of the Rakkor. And now it is your destiny to bring glory to the very art of war with these tools, like many of your ancestors have done before you**."

The white robed elder turned to Aurelius, making a small gesture towards the other Elder.

Aurelius stood from his seat, facing Pantheon, meeting the familiar gaze of the young warrior.

"Pantheon, for your ability in combat and your victory, we bestow upon you the legendary Spear of Ajax and the infamous Shield of Aegis. These legendary weapons have been used by many worthy Rakkor in the generations of the past; and now you shall inherit their legacy."

Elder Aurelius, gently holding the weapons wrapped in a smooth ceremonial cloth, presented them to the Pantheon, "These are now extensions of your body. Passed through the generations, they have always served their wielders well. If you should never cower in the face of opposition, if you should never falter when the tribe calls upon you, if you should never relent in the worship of combat, then these relics shall become the instruments in which you will paint the world in a new light. Use them wisely and bring the Rakkor honor with every blow you strike and every strike you deflect."

Aurelius saluted Pantheon and returned to his seat in the council of Elders. Pantheon quickly examined the weapons that had been given to them. The shield itself did not seem to of anything particularly special, but it resonated with a feeling of solidarity, as if there was so much more beneath the surface that held the shield together, rather than bonds of simple golden steel. Though the shield had likely been through innumerable battles in the past, it did not seem to give any indication of crumbling beneath the hands of its wielder anytime soon. It was, without a doubt, a worthy weapon.

The spear, held in his other hand, gleamed with a feeling of sharpness. The silver point was sharpened to a deadly point, and Pantheon had little doubt that it would penetrate anything he thrust it at. The smooth wooden handle that ran beneath the tip seemed to be more archaic, yet very sturdy in his grip. It might have been used and tested for many years, but it was undoubtedly still very reliable, and it would serve him well for the years to come.

Pantheon proudly brandished his weapons in the air, the crowd of Rakkor roaring their approval.

Another Elder, this one a smaller figure with a raspier tone, quieted the crowd. When silence was achieved once more throughout the stadium, his slithery voice was projected throughout the the stadium.

"Now, we shall move on to the next trial." Pantheon turned to go, once more beginning to pass through the large doorway in order to descend on the stairs once more. "For the next combat trial, it shall be **Leona** against Titus," Pantheon froze, "Prepare yourselves to fight for this shall-!" Pantheon did not wait for the Elder to finish, quickly running for the compartment where all of the Rakkorian candidates for the Rite were gathered. He heard the crowd shuffle in excitement for the next match and his heart was loud in his chest, beads of sweat trickling down from his head onto his cold relics of war as his feet pounded against the marble floor. He needed to get there, **now.**

* * *

Leona inhaled a nervous breath. She shifted against her armor and gripped the leather handle on her sword tightly. She could hear the murmur of the crowd outside and she could feel the electrical tension that swam through the air. Sunlight shone upon her face through the openings of the iron gate, illuminating her features. This was it. This was where she had to overcome or die. This was where she could not fail.

The gate opened and she stepped forward onto an arena of sand and dirt. All around her were the hundreds of Rakkorians cheering and watching as she approached another figure opposite to her. Leona stopped within several meters of the warrior, gazing at him.

She did not personally know Titus very well, though she had talked with him on several occasions in the past. He was a fierce warrior with a short and stocky frame and often quick to anger. As a warrior, he was relentless, often aggressively seeking combat with his peers either to prove a point or simply to improve his own arsenal. And often times, he could be seen practicing his swordsmanship, until his blade nearly became a natural extension of his body. A very skilled fighter, Titus was not going to be a very easy opponent to handle.

They saluted one another as per the Rakkorian tradition, their eyes meeting for a brief moment. For a brief moment, Leona though she saw a glint of regret in his eyes, but before she could ascertain as to anything further, a gravelly voice rang out.

" **Participants! Now, you shall fight for the glory of the Rakkor and its ancestors. Die with honor and win with grace! Begin the match!** "

As quick as a flash, Titus drew a wicked blade from his hip and lunged at Leona. She reacted just quickly enough, drawing her shield to her body and blocked the blade from severing her in two. Titus swiftly moved and readjusted for several more quick strikes, his blade crashing once more against the metal surface of Leona's large shield.

Leona fell back, blocking strike after strike that rained upon her in a flurry of offensive madness. Titus advanced upon the young woman, showing no signs of indication of letting up his assault of blades.

From an outsider's perspective, it would have seemed that Titus held the advantage. He was certainly the aggressor, rushing forward with in an offensive fury as Leona blocked and rolled to avoid certain death. It seemed that Leona appeared to be unable to do a thing about the onslaught that befell her. But those in the audience who knew the two warrior's style of combat could tell that in reality, as long as Leona held out, Titus was at a notable disadvantage.

It had already been said that Titus is a warrior of aggression. That being so, he devoted much time to the art of offense, while paying little heed to the art of blocking strikes and dodging blades. What had resulted was as a fierce offensive fighting style coupled with a poor defense. Leona on the other hand had trained very intensely in developing her defensive prowess, which had become fluid enough to match even the blows of Pantheon. But Leona had also developed a sharp offensive skill of swordsmanship as well as the use of a dagger. She could play the aggressor as just as well as the defender. Titus could not. If his blows could not bring down the young woman with orange locks quickly enough, there would be no salvation for him; he would fall to her countermeasures.

Titus pressed on enduringly, using every style of offense and every type of strike that he knew, but nothing that he threw at Leona broke her iron hold on her shield. He knew he could not keep up with her for much longer and his frustration mounted as he pounded away over and over, but was met with nothing but the unfruitful sound of his blade meeting her shield. He kicked and stabbed but to no avail.

As he pressed on, one of his strikes that glanced off of Leona's defense slowed noticeably. In a flash, Leona took advantage of his momentary fatigue and slammed the shield into his upper body. He stumbled backwards, fazed by the push. But he would not fall to such a simple blow. Wiping blood from his face that had begun to trickle from where the shield had cut him, Titus drew another blade and charged towards Leona once more.

He wheeled towards her, determined to slice her apart. Once more, they resumed their dance of blade and shield, Titus hammering away as if his life depended on it, which in a sense, it did. He thought of nothing but crushing the woman in front of him.

In a desperate moment, he swung recklessly at Leona, hoping to catch her off guard as he advanced towards her. But instead, his futile attempt was met with a metal shield, throwing him to the dirt and sand beneath him. Leona capitalized quickly, slamming her shield into his hand, forcing Titus to drop his sword with a groan of pain.

Leona moved quickly to pin Titus underneath the weight of her shield. But as she attempted to step towards him, a dagger materialized from the hands of Titus and impaled itself upon Leona's shoulder. She grimaced in surprise, quickly stepping back to avoid being stabbed several more times. She pulled the blade from her shoulder. Luckily for her, it had not penetrated deep into her armor, but regardless, she would have to be more careful. If it had been any more accurate, it would have cut her neck, something that would have undoubtedly turned the tide in Titus's favor.

Titus stood once more, daggers in hand as he faced his opponent once more. He breathed heavily. His body was worn down by the blows placed upon him, crimson smeared upon his bruised face. He knew that death was the likely end for him against this opponent. Titus might have been a hot head, but he was no fool. He understood the immense skill she possessed above him and the talent she possessed for blocking any blows that fell upon her.

But if he were to die now, he would not die begging for mercy. Titus wanted die on his feet, daggers in hand as the light faded from his vision. It would be much more dignified for a worthy Rakkorian such as himself.

With a hardened resolve, he bellowing a battle cry, barreling once more towards the girl behind the shield. He charged forward without heed, determined to break through that infuriating shield with his last shred of strength. The dirt swirled around his feet as he bore down on Leona without the intent to leave her in pieces.

 _10 feet._

He gripped his daggers firmly, poising them to run right through her body. There was turning back now. Now was the time for ultimate victory, or an honorable death; nothing in between would suffice.

 _7 feet._

Leona braced herself for the vicious impact. Watching as the muscled Rakkorian came closer by the moment, she tightened her hold on her shield once more, knuckles turning white from the exertion. One way or another, the match would be decided here.

 _Now._

Titus and his daggers slammed into Leona's defense, the sheer momentum of his charge sent vibrations through her shield as cracks appeared in his dagger. Leona's arms shuddered as she held out against his crushing weight. Titus screamed in desperation as he pushed against her to break her defense, his dagger scraping violently against the metal.

But she did not break.

Gathering her strength, Leona shoved Titus away with a push of her shield, leaving him to fall backwards in a confused daze of frustration. Left defenseless, Titus could only watch as Leona delivered a ruthless kick to his stomach.

Titus doubled over, pain blossoming through his lower body as his organs shuddered in a pain he never knew could exist. His mind was numbed with only the thought of agony in his system. He attempted once more to rise to his feet to face his opponent but a metal object slammed into his shoulder blades, cracking the two bone structures atop his body.

Titus screamed in pain. He collapsed and writhed on the dirt floor, unable to fight any longer as blood trickled from his shoulders where he had begun to bleed from the sheer impact. Pain racked his body and a grunt of pain left him as Leona kicked him onto his back so that he lay on the dirt, staring at nothing but her beautiful face and the serene blue heaven above him.

Titus was defeated. He could no fight any longer, his body unwilling to rise from the ground once more. All that was left was for Leona to do was end his life to receive her relics and gain the long sought recognition from the Rakkorian elders.

He closed his eyes, waiting for vindication.

* * *

From the candidate box, Pantheon watched as Leona stood over the broken boy.

She had done it. She had not fallen victim to her visions and ideas of mercy. She would triumph today on the field rather than lie broken in the dirt.

To him, it seemed that his worst nightmare had been successfully avoided. She was so close to absolution that he could already envision her relic ceremony before the elders.

 _So why was she still standing there?_

* * *

Leona stood over the broken boy, gazing at the blood that trickled from his mangled form. It was sad to see someone such as Titus, a fine specimen of Rakkorian strength, degraded to a broken form among trash on the ground. But she had been given no choice. Or had she?

Regardless, Leona drew her blade, preparing to do her duty to the Rite and the Elders. She stood above him, light gleaming off the blade as it hovered above his neck, waiting to sever his connection to the mortal world. But before she did, she looked around her one last time.

All around the arena, the heavy silence of the spectators permeated all corners of the room. The watched in a solemn reverie as one of the elite warriors of the Rakkor lay on the floor, ready to be slain like cattle.

There were many faces of interest and seriousness and even glee, but Leona could only see expressions of sadness and forlorn from some family members and friends of Titus, most notably from Titus's parents, who watched her every move, unable to look away as she prepared end the life of their only child. She locked eyes with the mother of Titus. His mother gazed at Leona, her expression one of pain and suffering, but also of understanding. She knew this was only the way of things among the warriors of the Rakkor, but that did not ease the pain in her mind.

Leona's stomach churned at the sight. She gripped her sword once more, her muscles stiffening as she stood still, paralyzed by the sight set before her.

"What are you doing?" a voice croaked below her, drawing Leona's attention once more to the figure lying below her. Titus met her eyes, his face etched with shame and the pain of defeat.

"Please don't wait any more. Just finish the trial and end my shame. You know what you have to do Leona."

 _You have to do._

 _ **Have to.**_

The words echoed in Leona's head over and over. It seemed only logical that she complete the trial, one so near completion. With simply a single blow, she could finally gain acceptance from Elders and parents who had often told her she was too kind to be a great warrior. It would only take a moment, a fraction of the time she had spent preparing for this moment, to simply finish the deed. Besides, she had no other choice; Pantheon had warned her over and over that the only future for those who would evade the ways of the Rite would be a shameful death.

But as she lifted her sword once more, she remembered. Remembered the ideals in which she had learnt from the peers among the Rakkor who had never been strong in body, but strong in spirit. They had died a time ago from the harsh environment of the Rakkor, so Leona had embodied the ideas in which they had always stood for; friendship and kindness, even among the war embroiled culture of the Rakkor. She had always promised herself she would never break those ideals, yet here she was, abstaining kindness from sparing the life of Titus because she felt obligated by some sort of foolish tradition. What was she if she did not keep that promise true to herself? What right would she have to preach kindness and understanding if she herself killed her fellow Rakkorian for personal gain?

And in that moment of clarity, Leona made her choice.

She closed her eyes, allowing the sword to slip from her hand, letting it fall to the dirt beneath her. The blade clattered beside the wounded form of Titus, whose eyes widened at her implication. At this, Leona stepped back and turned to face the Elders.

She closed her eyes, ready to embrace the wind of fate that had begun to breeze through her armor.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading my friends! Sorry if you hate cliffhangers :C. Anyways, please be sure to let me know how I did, it would be greatly appreciated!_

 _Until next time,_

 _C. Geng_


	4. Fragments

There was only but a silence.

The crowd of Rakkorians stood shocked and speechless, unable to understand what they had just witnessed. Not a single sound could be heard, as the every single pair of eyes fell upon the girl in the center of the arena.

Tension filled the air as Leona glared at the platform that housed the Elders above her, unfazed by the silence and unwilling to back down.

* * *

 _This couldn't be happening. She was so close to finishing._

 _Why had she stopped? What was she thinking?!_

Pantheon's pulse quickened as a barrage of thoughts ran through his mind.

The Elders would surely put her to death. He could see no other outcome that would be probable for such a violation of tradition.

He ran his hands angrily through his hair. What a _fool_ he was for believing that Leona would have been willing to kill another Rakkor.

He should have foreseen that her unyielding stubbornness would inevitably lead to this very moment.

He should have…

But now, it was too late for any regret. Pantheon could only watch from the sidelines, unable to help her. All that could be done now was in the hands of Aurelius.

 _But would he make good on his promise?_

* * *

Then, as if a leak had sprung in a dam, a great oblivion of noise erupted from the crowd. Some made obscene gestures at Leona's actions while others consorting with one another, attempting to make sense of what she was doing.

It was a scene of absolute chaos.

Then, a great voice boomed from the council of Elders

" **Enough**!"

At the cutting edge of the voice, the crowd quieted once more, turning their full attention to the center of the arena. From the silence rose the Elder, garbed in the pearl white tunic. He gazed down at the warrior, defiantly standing above her broken opponent. Her stance was bold as she held under the withering gaze of the Elder.

"Very well done, young warrior of the Rakkor," his voice booming across the crowd, "You have crushed him and bested his defenses. Now, it is time for you to finish it. End his life, and you shall be recognized as an elite warrior of the Rakkor!"

Leona stood motionless as the words washed over her.

She had to admit, his words did hold a solid appeal. All she had ever wanted was to be accepted by all of her peers. Through all of the lectures and the taunts, she had always promised herself that she would one day be respected and recognized among by everyone; including the Elders. And now, here she was, so close to fulfilling that dream. It seemed only logical that she would accomplish her goal would it not?

But she had also promised herself to always uphold the principles that she held dear. The images of her friends who had died in the process of sharing those ideas to her flashed through her mind. No. She would not compromise her ideals; never again. The Elder's words no longer held any meaning or future to her anymore. She would not be swayed any longer by the words of those who would seek to destroy what she believed in.

Her mind was already set.

Slowly but without hesitation, she spoke, her clear voice ringing across the arena for all to hear.

"No... I will not".

The Elder's eyes widened in surprise.

"What did you say? Speak once more so that we all may hear you."

Leona took a breath, hardening her eyes and gazed at the Elder once more. There was no turning back from this point. If she continued forward, her fate would be set in stone. But she was not afraid.

"I said no. I will not harm another one of my fellow Rakkorians. It is barbaric and a disgusting traditional stain upon the reputation of the Rakkor. I refuse to complete the trial."

Upon these words, a murmur ran through the crowd. Sounds of confused and anxious spectators rung throughout every crevice of the arena once more. This had never occurred before. Even for the more elderly among the Rakkorian, this was something they had never witnessed in their many viewings of the Rite of Kor. All those who had come before had never defied the trial, and yet here was this puny girl, challenging the concepts of the entire Rite. It was not until the Elder held his hands up that the crowd was silenced into oblivion once more.

The Elder narrowed his eyes.

"You refuse to complete the trial? Do you understand the consequence of failing to finish your opponent? You would be foolish not to."

Leona closed her eyes, an image of a brown haired boy walking beside her on a dirt road flashed through her mind.

"Yes. If standing for what I believe is right means being executed under the traditions of the Rite, then I will accept my death without any resistance."

"Very well. So it shall be done." The Elder turned towards the large iron gates, "Executioner!"

The sound of an iron gate being lifted could be heard. From the stockade emerged a large brutish figure, dressed in a dark cloak that flowed to his feet. In his hands gleamed a large steel axe which shone an ominous light upon the ground. He trudged towards Leona, his cloak dragging across the dirt as he moved.

The dark apparition stepped slowly behind Leona, poising himself and his axe at the small of her back. The man glanced at the council of Elders.

All was silent as the crowd watched, awaiting the spectacle of death. But before the Elder could give the signal, a voice interrupted his train of thought.

"Elder Lervix!"

The white cloaked Elder turned to face Aurelius who had stood up from his seat at the council's table.

"Elder Lervix. Let us not be so hasty in deciding her fate for simply refusing to slay her opponent. Has she not already proven she is a worthy warrior? There is no need for us to kill our apprentices more than we must. Besides, you cannot deny that Leona is a generational warrior. Executing her would be a great loss to our tribal strength."

Lervix frowned. He turned once more to the young girl that stood in the arena. Lost in thought, he stood motionless for a while, silence befalling the table of Elders.

After a while, he spoke, shaking his head.

"Aurelius… Much as I see her potential as you do, we can't allow her to live. Doing so would break our tradition and in doing so, break our unity as a tribe. If she has an exception above the traditions of the Rakkor, who are we to say that others can not? We would lose power in the tribe and our tradition would be lost to the ages."

Aurelius shrugged, "I am not concerned with what the Rakkor's tradition has been. I am looking to see what it will become. If we execute those who exemplify the art of war, how can we hope to maintain our culture? We would be hypocrites of the principles that the Rakkor have been founded on."

"It cannot be done. We cannot spare her life. The rules must be enforced in any and all circumstances. Besides, we will always find another exceptional warrior to take her place."

"You are blind to the present Lervix. The times are changing; we cannot always follow in the past's footsteps. We must create our own way in our world. Perhaps the rules may need to change for the new times that our warriors are experiencing."

"It cannot happen Aurelius! We must uphold the rules that our forefathers have laid down throughout the ages! We will not risk endangering the entire history and monuments of those who came before us!"

The other Elders watched as the two battled, the intensity of words heating up between them. It was as if they were watching two of Earth's greatest elements war with each other, rather than the squabble of old men.

"Well, you can't execute her if I am in a disagreement. We all know there must be a complete consensus among the Elders to overturn my decision."

Lervix growled, "Very well then. You believe that the other Elders will allow us to crumble from the inside? Let us take a vote then. Those in favor of overturning the decision?"

Many of the Elders raised their hands, a near complete majority in favor of the policy.

"And all of those who are opposed to the overture?"

Aurelius and another Elder by the name of Angelina raised their hands.

There was a stunned silence. No one had expected any other Elder to be bold enough to challenge Lervix and the traditions. As much influence as Aurelius held, the repercussions of voting for this challenge could reverberate through the generations. That kind of social pressure would often hold Elders at its mercy. Yet Aurelius had somehow succeeded.

He smiled in his triumph.

"We seem to be at a standoff Lervix. You do not have enough votes to struck me down."

Lervix glared at Angelina, who shrunk back slightly under his glare.

"Very well Aurelius," Lervix snarled, "If you wish to play such political games, then I shall be happy to oblige. From my position as the head Elder, I invoke the power that is given to me to be used once in order to secure the future of the Rakkorians. I shall nullify your vote and your dissent."

Aurelius stared, shocked at his words, seemingly out of words for the first time in his life. The power he spoke of was only given to the head Elder to be used once in his entire lifetime. It was a power of security and could only be used preserve Rakkor traditions. Normally, the council would decide on decisions as a group, but with this power, Lervix would be able to bypass that system in his justification for saving the Rakkor. It was a power not to be taken lightly and very few head Elders in the entire past had rarely ever made use of it.

Yet here was Elder Lervix, invoking the sacred powers that could only be seen once in a century.

"You wouldn't…do that."

"Oh but I would," declared Lervix solemnly, "I must do whatever it take to preserve the tradition of the Rakkor. Even if it means assuming dictatorial powers for this moment. I **will** hold this tribe together Aurelius, regardless of what you think of the individuals. We as the Rakkor must move as one or else we are nothing."

Aurelius looked around angrily at the other Elders. They glanced away, unwilling to meet his gaze.

"And will none of you come to see sense? Will you all follow Lervix into this madness? She is one of our best warriors!"

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence among them. Electricity shot in between the glances of the Elder, arcing through the thick tension. Then, an Elder dressed in a grey tunic sporting short white hair turned to face Aurelius.

"Elder Aurelius," she began slowly, "While we admire the fervor in which you have placed upon this young warrior, we must be able to see the larger picture. If we should break the tradition here, we will begin an age of instability among ourselves. As Elders, it is our duty to do what we have to preserve our tradition, be it with our lives or our liberty. I, for one, cannot destroy the future generations of Rakkor solely to save one that you believe has merit now. We must not only look to the present and the past Aurelius, but to the circumstances of the future as well. It is for this reason that we choose to support Lervix. Do not take this as an attack, but rather as a necessity of action."

The other Elders nodded in agreement with her words, muttering assent among themselves.

Aurelius turned helplessly, but there was no more ground for him to move upon.

"Enough of this talk," Lervix sighed, "It certainly is regrettable that we must kill such as fine warrior such as her. But at the end of the day, the importance of our tradition takes priority. Do you understand that Aurelius?"

There was no response. Instead, the Elder simply turned to a small compound on the side of the arena where a brown haired boy stood anxiously among his peers. He watched him sadly as the boy stared at Leona with an intensity he had never seen. And amid the intensity there was anguish and pain but there was also something he had never seen before; hope.

But as much as he wanted to keep that fire alive, there was no room for him to argue, no place of refuge to sheath his argument. He had no choice in the matter. He had failed, and now the boy, not him, would pay the price. Guilt befell him like a hammer, but his back was against the wall.

"Very well," Aurelius croaked weakly, "I-I...I withdraw my dissent."

Lervix gave him a solemn nod as he collapsed defeated into his seat, his head between his hands.

"It is the right thing to do Aurelius. You will come to see that."

* * *

Pantheon lungs felt like they would burst. He had to mentally remind himself to keep breathing as he watched the argument between Aurelius and the other Elders.

Surely, _surely_ Aurelius would win. He was a revered Elder, was he not? And besides, he had made a promise to Pantheon. Aurelius _always_ kept his promises, no matter the cost. That is why Pantheon had always held an absolute faith in his Elder.

But as Lervix stepped to the front of the plateau, the words Pantheon heard were not what he had expected to hear. He had hoped they would bring him salvation and assurance; instead, they brought him despair and hate.

"For the act of refusing to follow the tradition of the Rite of Kor, you are sentenced to death! Executioner!"

Pantheon felt as if his heart had been torn from his chest by an icy hand. He whipped his head towards the Elders' table only to see Aurelius slumped in defeat. It was then he knew, the worst had come to pass.

 _No!_

He would not allow this to happen. He _could not!_

In a flash, he hoisted his pear and his shield and leapt over the fence that separated the box from the arena. Spear in hand and shield strapped to his arm, he charged towards Leona and the dark figure above her.

Lervix froze as he watched this strange figure run towards the kneeling warrior. _He meant to stop her execution! He would destroy us!_

"GUARDS!" he roared, "STOP HIM! DO NOT LET HIM TOUCH HER!"

Instantly, dozens of armed Rakkorians stepped in front of Pantheon to halt his advances.

Pantheon quickly sidestepped one of the guards that swung his club him, slamming his shield into his helmet and dodging the spear of another. He fought viciously, throwing several more guards to the ground. He punched another, breaking his jaw and shoved another away from him.

But no matter how well he fought, there were simply too many for Pantheon to handle. Eventually, the guards overwhelmed him, swarming him until Pantheon lay pinned against the dirt beneath them. For in the end, he was a mere teenager clashing against the grown men of the guard.

He struggled angrily but the weight of several soldiers held him fast.

Pantheon could do nothing as he watched the brutish executioner stand over Leona with the gleaming axe. Leona knelt in the dirt, her head bowed to the sun above her. She had already accepted her fate. She would be willing to die to give her devotion to her ideals.

But Pantheon would not. He could not lose someone such as her. Not after so many years of companionship. She was his last link to what it meant to still be truly human and a friend.

"Leona!" he screamed, "Don't do this! Don't give in! Please, you can't die!"

She lifted her head slightly, sad eyes caressing his cheek. Her lips did not move, but her sorrowful eyes told him all he needed to know in that moment.

 _I'm sorry Pantheon._

Lervix signaled the executioner.

"Do it!"

Raising the axe above the kneeling girl, the blade began its descent down towards her neck. The metal gleamed, lusting to meet the soft flesh of her body and shred it to pieces.

Pantheon watched in horror, his breath taken from him by the atrocity in front of his very eyes.

 _NO!_

In a surge of unknown strength, Pantheon burst free from the grasp of the guards above him. He roared, shaking the guards from his body. He burst forth, once more on his feet.

 _LEONA!_

He charged again towards the pair of figures conspiring the act of death. But it was too late. He was too far to save her. He could only watch as the blade came closer and closer to her neck, ready to end her life.

He felt something crack inside of him, as if a glass ball had shattered against his heart.

Then, his vision tuned to white as something erupted in front of him. Pantheon flew back, landing hard onto the ground, his eyes blinded by a brilliant light.

 _Leona…._

The sound of the earth shattering could be heard as the entire stadium shook with blinding rays of sunlight. Beams of the brilliant sun struck the foundations of the arena, arcing to every crook and crevice, leaving no placed untouched by the fiery light.

The Rakkorians erupted into a panic, many cowering and covering their eyes to shield themselves from the intense rays that seemed to appear from nowhere.

Some Rakkorian guards fell, their bodies writhing in the intense light that rained upon them as their swords clattered harmlessly to the ground.

It seemed that the world for the Rakkor was ending, the very sky above them splitting in half, allowing this light to eviscerate them all. Chaos reigned freely among the panicking Rakkor as they trampled in a hurry in an attempt to seek cover from the all-seeing light that blinded them so.

But then, as quickly as the light had come down like a judgement of a supreme being, it stopped, slinking away back into the blue heaven above them. Once more, it was quiet, devoid of any brilliant rays that shook the stadium.

Many Rakkor stood in confusion as they surveyed the surroundings for any signs of the light that had attacked them. They watched curiously for enemies or beings that might have appeared among the rays.

But all they could see as they surveyed the arena was an unharmed girl standing above a cloaked man who laid motionless in the dirt. Her orange locks waved in the wind as she stood once more, bathed in the dawn of the sunlight.

* * *

 **Headcanon:**

 **Lervix and Aurelius go way back, but they've always had different viewpoints on how to run things. Lervix is the head Elder but Aurelius wields substantial influence as well, though not as much.**

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Sorry for the late update, tried to change the direction and style of the story for a bit so that took me a bit longer to write. Tried to play league as well, but got demoted to Silver from Plat. Yikes.**

 **Anyways, hope you guys like that chapter! Thanks for the support so far, it's really encouraging! If you want, leave a review telling me how I did, so we can all make the story just a bit better, step by step.**

 **Also, if you're looking for a Talon/Quinn story and other cool stories (not as intense as mine lol), my friend Tinyshygirl125 has got all the stories on those two and some others. Go check her out and see if you like her style!**

 **-Until Next time,**

 **C. Geng**


	5. A Glimpse

Pantheon slowly opened his eyes, his fingers still curled tightly around the weapons in his hand. He shifted, grunting as he felt a sharp pain glance in his shoulder as he rolled over.

 _Urg…what the hell was that?_

Struggling to his feet, Pantheon rubbed the blinding light away from his eyes. Clearing his head, he took a quick glance around him. What he saw shocked him.

Everywhere around him were fallen guards, laying unconscious on the dirt floor of the arena. But there seemed to be no external wounds on their bodies or any signs of blunt trauma as if something m _agical_ had hit them. It seemed like a scene taken straight from a fairy tale.

 _What is going on?_

That scene in itself was quite interesting. But what surprised him most of all was a girl with orange hair running towards him, dirt streaked across her face but still as radiant as ever.

 _Leona?!_

"Pantheon" she gasped as she ran over to him, "What were you thinking?! You know you would have been killed for interfering. You shouldn't have hopped from the spectator box!"

Upon her remark, Pantheon scowled in a rare display of open emotion, "And was it so much more different from what you were doing?! I thought you had already made your decision about this! Getting executed was not part of the plan!"

Leona looked away, unable to meet Pantheon's gaze. "Well, it's just….. I felt like it was something I had to do. Guess it was too selfish of me huh?"

Pantheon softened at her remorseful expression, his scowl fading away. He paused, unable to continue to scold her any longer. "I mean…look Leona, its fine. What's done is done. Besides, you were brave in your own way standing up for your ideals. I don't think any other Rakkor warrior I know of could have had the guts to do the same thing you did."

Leona looked up, surprised at his remark. "You think so? Was it really brave of me to violate Rakkor tradition like that?"

He snorted, "Well, I wouldn't say it very was brave for the Elder's point of view, but I'm sure that a lot of people watching really thought that as something." He shifted once more, slowly getting to his feet as a certain figure in the distance caught Pantheon's attention. "And speaking of the Elders, there's Elder Lervix coming back up. It seems that we aren't exactly out of this yet."

As if on cue, the white cloaked Elder rose slowly, surveying the strange situation which had just occurred. A certain beam of light had apparently saved the girl from being executed at the last second. What was more, it had even knocked his executioner a clean ten feet away from Leona. What was this supposed to mean? He glanced around, watching as the spectators surveyed the strange scene anxiously, impatiently waiting to see what would unfold next.

 _Was that light an act of the heavens? Could have been a sign of some sort? No, it can't be. I can't let her walk free no matter what in Targon happens. Otherwise, it'll be complete chaos! Damn! I have to finish her now!_

Regaining his composure, he found his voice and bellowed, "Guards! GUARDS! Finish the execution!"

Suddenly, from all sides came several guards who had been hidden behind iron gates at the time of the intense beams. They were fresh and heavily armed, ready to take the life of the two young warriors in the pit.

Leona and Pantheon quickly stood back to back as he tossed her a sword from a fallen guard before quickly hefting on his own arsenal. The guards circled them warily, like sharks hunting a bleeding target. "I'm ready to strike when you are Pantheon," Leona whispered. Pantheon nodded, tightening his hold on his spear. Realistically, he knew there was no clean way out of this situation. They were great warriors but the guards could easily overwhelm them with sheer numbers. They had done it once before when he was charging towards Leona and he was certain that they could do it again. He eyed one of the guards closest to him, narrowing his eyes into slits as he stared at the imaginary place where he would pierce him with his spear. As long as Leona survived this encounter, he would be more than willing to die here. He gathered his breath, steeling himself for an inevitable death.

" _ **Stop!"**_

Pantheon froze, forcing himself to stop his spear that was already in motion towards the nearest guard.

 _That voice..._

A figure stepped out from the spectating area. It was a female dressed in a white and gold tunic, a strangely crafted sword strapped to her side. Her pale white hair swung around the sunlight that seemed to bend around her body. White irises eagerly examined the situation presented before her as she quickly jogged to where the guards were still standing.

"Are you all incompetent fools?! I said to back away from them!" the young woman growled angrily to the guards who still stood frozen to their spots around the duo.

They retreated hastily, bowing as they went. The young woman turned to the Leona, her frown now replaced with a curious smile upon gazing at the young girl before asking, "You are Leona are you not? Daughter of Raizon and Yelna?" Leona nodded. "I am. Who are you?"

The young woman removed a flap in her tunic to reveal an insignia of a strange bird portrayed beneath a great sun. The bird's talons stretched across the fabric and the rays of the sun seemed to nearly fly off the golden seams of the tunic. "My name is Diana of the Solari. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Pantheon's eyes widened. "The Solari? What do they want with her? It's not often that I see any of your members around the regular Rakkor establishments."

She nodded at Pantheon, somewhat impressed with his knowledge. "You're right. Usually members of the Solari don't tend to mingle with the other tribal Rakkor. Especially during the times in which the Rites take place. But I happened to stop by to take a quick look at the arena for I heard there were going to be very exceptional warriors fighting today. And that's when I saw it." She turned to face Leona. "You may not know it, but the light which bathed and protected you in your time of execution was an undeniable sign of Solari ascendancy. The Solarian elders have been searching for someone like that for a long time. It is for this reason that I have come here to converse with you. We, the Solari, wish for you to join our ranks."

Pantheon and Leona both stood still, confused by the revelation placed before them. It wasn't all too common that a representative from a revered group such as the Solari came specifically to you asking for your participation.

"Uh well, but you see, I'm sort of in the process of being executed. I'm not all too sure whether Elder Lervix will allow this to happen. He seemed pretty persistent in attempting to kill me."

Diana waved away the question. "That won't be a problem. The head of the Rakkorian Elders will have to respect and oblige to the orders of the Solari. If we want you to join us and have your sentence repealed, then it will happen. I'll personally talk to Lervix about this situation. So what do you say? Join the Solari in exchange for a repealed death sentence?"

Leona and Pantheon exchanged a quick glance before Leona turned once more to the Solari member.

"I suppose I don't really have much of a choice do I?"

"No," Diana chuckled softly, "I suppose you don't. And I mean," she continued, noticing the look between the two warriors, "You can still see your boyfriend when you become one of the of us. Even if he isn't part of the Solari, Rakkorian relations are still fairly common."

Leona blushed visibly at her comment, glancing back and forth between Diana and Pantheon, "He's uh….uh…I mean…"

"You're just friends? That's alright, no need to be flustered. You'll both still be able to good pals." Diana laughed, amused at her expression.

Pantheon shook his head and slowly turned to Leona. "I have to go do something. I'll see you around."

* * *

Elder Aurelius walked slowly back to his chambers. It had been quite a day, especially with all the strange things going on with the Solari in this year's Rite and the arguing and fighting amongst the Elders with the decision to relieve Leona of her execution. All of it was tiring for the old man and all he really wanted to do right now was sleep and be alone with his thoughts. Any additionally thoughts about the Rakkor traditions only made his head ache. But before he could reach his hut, a figure stepped into his path. Regrettably, this was a figure that Elder Aurelius knew all too well.

"Aurelius. You owe me an explanation don't you?" Pantheon growled. "Why did you fail to protect her? What happened to the promise you made me? If it wasn't for the Solari, Leona would be dead right now and I would most likely be dead as well." Aurelius grimaced. Part of him knew that this confrontation would have eventually taken place. But he had never expected Pantheon to confront him as soon as he did. But now he was left with no choice but to answer. "Pantheon, you must understand, there was nothing I could do. The other Elders voted my decision out and Lervix even ended up using his emergency powers. I was trapped. I couldn't do a thing about what was going to happen to your companion."

"Enough of those god damn excuses Aurelius!" Pantheon snarled, "You made a promise to me to save Leona under any circumstance and you failed to keep your promise! What makes you so different from the other Elders that I can trust you?

"My boy, what don't you understand?! The council moves based on a voting system and the vote to save Leona was voted out! That is simply how the system works."

Pantheon glared at the red faced elder who was out of breath. "If you knew that there was a chance you couldn't secure the vote, then why did you promise me something that might have gone wrong? You knew of these possibilities, yet you still chose to give me false hope! It might have been well intended for my sake, but deceiving me is no small matter Aurelius! You've failed me and everything that you as an Elder have stood for!"

Aurelius opened his mouth to defend himself but no words came forth. He knew Pantheon was right. He had broken his promises. He had finally yielded, for the first time in his life, to the will of others. Even he had to admit, the things that once made him better than most of the other Elders no longer existed. There was nothing he could say to defend his honor. "I...you're….you're right. I did fail you Pantheon and…I'm sorry for that. It is my fault."

His head bowed in a gesture of sorrowful regret, hoping to appease the enraged warrior.

But Pantheon was not satisfied. "Yes. It is your fault Aurelius. Your once reputable self is now reduced to nothing more than foolish promises of a senile old man. Think upon your foolish demise every time that you gaze upon my face." With those stinging words, friends turned to foes and Pantheon slipped away into the evening, leaving behind the broken values of a once great warrior to crumble to oblivion.

...

* * *

Leona walked up a large cliff, following the pale haired woman in front of her. She had no weapons or armor, as Diana had told her she would not need any for the journey or the meeting. Without such accustomed weights on her body, Leona's thoughts began to drift as she ascended the mountain with her companion. What would the Solari be like? She had often heard tales as a young girl about a great warrior that was blessed with power of the sun. That warrior had established the group known as the Solari and had become a revered and nearly mythological figure in Rakkorian history. But other than those small things, Leona knew little about the group. What was their purpose? Why were they so separate from the other Rakkor?

Lost in thought, Leona did not notice that Diana had stopped and crashed into her.

"Oomph! Sorry about that!" Leona quickly said, not wanting to make a bad impression on her new found mentor and friend.

"Don't worry about it. It's no big deal. Besides, we've finally reached our destination." Diana spread her arms at an ancient gate several meters away, carved with inscriptions and symbols that Leona could not understand. Several figures dressed in a sort of gold and orange ceremonial armor stood affront of the gate, standing at attention. "Welcome to the home of the Solari."

The pair walked through the gate, entering the large compound in silence. Leona looked around, amazed by the sight she saw. This scene was so much more different from the scene she saw in her own tribe. Whereas in the Rakkor, kids could be seen sparring in any direction, honing their mastery of war, the scene of the Solari in front of her eyes was much more peaceful. Rather than practice the art of war, the inhabitants of this place were meditating, worshiping, or even simply starring at the sun. It was strange and foreign scene to Leona, but for some reason, it seem to resonate with her quite well. Watching the peaceful scene before her, she felt something stir within her...

"Hey, we got to keep moving. The Solari Elders are expecting you and it's not a good idea to keep them waiting."

Leona snapped back to the present. "Right, sorry about that."

The two walked for a moment longer, passing smaller huts and social events happening nearby. "Hey, do you mind if I ask you something?" Leona suddenly asked to her friend. "Sure," Diana replied casually, "Ask away."

"How did you end up joining the Solari? A lot of the Solari around here seem to be quite older than you are. It kinda looks like you're one of the only teenagers here."

Diana paused for a brief moment before answering, "Well, my parents were both members of the Solari before I was conceived. Normally, all children, even those of the members of the Solari have to of through a pretty difficult vetting process to join up, but shortly after I was born, both of my parents died."

"Oh…I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to dig too deep."

Diana waved away the apology. "It's fine, you didn't know about it so it's not your fault. Anyways, some of the Elders felt sorry for me and so they decided honor my parent's memories by taking me in as one of their own. And uh...ever since then, I've always been one of the Solari."

Diana stopped in front of another gate, this time, a wooden one inscribed once more the insignia of the Solari. "Well, it's been really nice to meet and talk to you Leona. Hopefully I'll catch you around later on."

Leona smiled. "Thank you Diana. I really appreciate what you've done for me here today."

"Well, don't breathe too easy yet. You'll still have to confer with the Elders, but I'm sure you'll be fine. Now get on in there, the Elders are waiting."

Leona stepped to the front of the gate, placing her hand on the cool wooden handle. She turned around to watch say one last goodbye to her companion, but she was already gone, whisked away like the moonlight on a sunny dawn.

* * *

Leona stepped into a large room, brightly light by torches along the walls. The first thing she noticed as she walked forward was a large ornate sun made of wood sculpted into the side of the wall. Something about it seemed to draw the young woman towards it, like a moth to a lantern. In fact, it was so impressive and alluring, Leona hadn't even realized she was simply staring at the sculpture. Unaware of the time, she stood, entranced by the simple yet complex beauty of the ornament before her.

"Ahem."

Leona spun around, facing a young man with stormy eyes, dressed in traditional golden and white Solarian garbs. His jet black hair reached just behind his shoulders, neatly combined and perfectly straightened. Grey irises stared as Leona's face flushed from the embarrassment of being caught staring into space like some clueless fool.

"Oh! I am so sorry! I didn't mean to trespass."

The young man only smiled at her flustered self. "It's quite alright. You're Leona aren't you? You must be the girl that the Elders are wanting to see right now. Follow me, I'll take you right to them. They're anxiously awaiting your arrival."

He started off and Leona followed quickly behind him, not wanting to make a fool of herself once again. As the young man led Leona down a corridor, their footsteps echoing against the wooden floor. "So, you're a traditionally born Rakkor huh? Seems pretty amazing that the Solari would suddenly want to induct someone so young into the order. What exactly happened to you?" Leona paused for a while, before resounding, "To be entirely honest, I'm not too sure what happened down at the arena as well. All I knew was one moment I was about to be executed for not following the Rite of Kor, and the next, almost all the guards and the executioner were lying unconscious on the ground."

The young man frowned. "Huh. I've never heard of anything like that ever happening before during the Rite. I guess it has to be something really special for the Solari Elders to want to investigate it. Ah, there it is." He stopped all of a sudden, gesturing at a door inscribed with once more, the insignia of the Solari. Only this time, it was carved much more intricately, its lines and edges much more defined and regal. "Well, here you are. Hopefully your meeting with them goes well." He chuckled, "It's not too often you see pretty girls around the Solari. Hopefully I'll get to see you soon."

With that, the young man departed leaving Leona with a smoldering blush on her face and at a loss of words.

 _Hey, let's not do this right now. You have other things to need to do. REALLY important things don't you think?_

Snapping herself back to the situation at hand, she turned to the door, running her hands along the smooth carvings of the symbol of the Solari. Once more, it seemed that Leona was at a crossroads in her life. First the Rite of Kor, and now this. It was like with every turn in her life, she always had to make these impossible decisions.

But that didn't matter right now. Leona had always believed in destiny, and now, destiny was telling her to move forward and not to look back on the past. Her moment was now, and she had to embrace what was given to her. Whatever decision was made from behind this door, she would accept it. With a deep breath and a steeled resolve, she ran her hands once more along the smooth surface before finally pushing the door open.

* * *

It was a brightly lit chamber with three elderly figures sitting on mats, their legs crossed as they watched Leona enter the room. They watched in silence as she closed the door behind her and slowly knelt to the floor, unsure of what action she should take. Unfamiliar with the situation, there was a brief moment of tension before one of the Elders spoke.

"There you are young one. We have been waiting for your arrival for quite some time now after having heard about what has taken place during the Rite of Kor."

Leona bowed. "Forgive me Elder, I was not quick enough to arrive at your convenience." The Elder waved away her apology. "Nonsense, none of it is your doing. It is simply the turn of fate that has brought you here before us. Allow me to introduce myself and my fellow elders. I am Roduku, and these are my compatriots, Ao Shin and Kassandra. We are the leaders of the faction known as the Solari." He paused, gazing at the young warrior before him. "Do you understand why we stopped your execution and brought you here before us?"

Leona slowly shook her head. "As far as the events that have occurred, I am still very not sure as to why the Solari would have an interest in me."

Roduku leaned forward, "Very well, allow me to explain it to you. While in the arena, you may have not seen it from where you were standing, but our scout reported that beams of sunlight struck down on those who had the intention of harming you, effectively subduing your executioner and even the guards around you." He paused, wetting his lips, his rate of breath quickening, "This is a phenomenon only known to occur with those who we believe are chosen disciples of the Sun. The only time in recorded Solari history of such a power occurring in a single warrior was in the founding member of our group. Since him, all of the past Solari Elders have been watching for the arrival of the next champion of the sun, the one who would wield the same power as him. And now, we have found you. Though now you may not comprehend the magnitude of your duties, you are the key to the future of the Solari."

Leona knelt frozen in shock and surprise.

 _Did he say...chosen of the sun? How can I, a simple Rakkorian girl be the key to the Solaris's future? All of this isn't making sense to me!_

Leona attempted to speak, but no words left her, her mouth hanging open like a fish without water.

Ao Shin chuckled at her reaction. "The girl is overwhelmed Roduku. Looks like you gave her too much information at once. Perhaps it would be wise for us to allow to settle down with the other Solari members before we continue her _orientation._ Besides, she needs the rest. The Rite can take much out of any one, even among the best of warriors."

Elder Roduku nodded. "Very well then." He turned to Leona once more. "Young one, you may not be able to take all of this new information in, but in time, you will come to understand your role here. For now, you are excused, chosen of the sun. We will call upon you later to continue to confer with you the new parameters of your purpose here. I trust you have met our my grandson Erix? He was the one that should have escorted you here." Leona nodded, remembering the young man in Solarian clothing who she had blushed in front of. " We will assign him to be your guide in the Solari village. Feel free to ask him anything that you may be curious about and he will gladly answer it to the best of his knowledge. And now, you shall be dismissed. We will reconvene here in two days time."

With that, the Elders stood, exiting the room one by one until Leona was the only one left, still glued to where she sat. She sat, many thoughts running through her mind of what she was just told. It wasn't until she heard footsteps behind her that she turned around to see Erix leaning against the door frame of the chamber.

He smiled at her, "Well, it looks like you survived your first encounter with the Elders. It looks like you're stuck with me for the next week or so." He extended a hand to her. "Let's go. You've got a lot to catch up on if you're going to be one of the most prominent members of the Solari." Leona frowned, "Wait a second. What do you mean by _a prominent member_ of the Solari? I thought I was going to be just another one of the members of the Solari."

He stared at her, dumbfounded by her question before shaking his head in disbelief, "Didn't you learn anything from what the Elders told you?"

Leona scrunched her brows, confusion flooding her face. "Well, they said I was the chosen of the sun, but the didn't exactly elaborate on what that really meant or what position it signified. It's still all very vague to me."

"Well, according to tradition, the chosen of the sun always end up with the leadership of the Solari. Whether they are Solari born or not, they will always assume the role of leadership among us. Leona, that means you are the next in line to becoming the leader of the future of the Solarian generations."

* * *

 _Head cannon_ _: Pantheon doesn't like it when you break promises to him. Especially when it deals with Leona. He's pissed. REALLY pissed._

 _Diana was originally one of the Solari members according to her older lore._

 _And it look like Pantheon has some competition! Lets see how it plays_

 _ **Once again, thanks for reading friend! Please let me know if you enjoyed the story!**_

 ** _Until next time_**

 ** _-C. Geng_**


	6. Chapter 6: The New Path

Opening a door, Erix led her once more into the corridor and walked her to the end of the hallway. Together, they exited the chamber and walked into an afternoon filled with sunlight and the sounds of the day's activities in progress.

"Alright," His grey eyes swung over to look at her once. "First things first, we should probably get you situated at where you'll be staying when you're with the Solari." He motioned for Leona to follow him, "Let's go. It's only a short distance away from here."

Quickening their pace, the duo passed religious buildings and bronze monuments bearing Solarian descriptions. They moved without pause, swiftly making way towards several white marble buildings in the near distance. But as they passed a small gathering of Solari praying in an open arena, Leona stopped for a brief moment, staring curiously at the group of Solari. With their heads bowed in a deep trances they hymned an unknown tongue, she could not help but stare. "Erix?"

"Hm?" The young man turned to see Leona watching the afternoon's procession. "Oh, I see you've discovered the one of the religious prayers that takes place among us. What you see there is more for the Solari that are far more dedicated to the art of worship and prayer of the sun. Usually the members in those types of groups are the more Elderly and experienced Rakkor. The younger among us, such as you, tend to inhabit the more ah… _zealous_ roles among the Solari."

Leona raised her eyebrows at the young man. "What do you mean by zealous roles? I don't really see any other things people here are doing except praying to the sun. What are things are there for the Solari besides that?" Erix smirked, amused at her eagerness to learn so much. "All in due time Leona. For now, let's get you to where you'll be staying. The Elders may it quite clear to me that resting there and becoming familiar with the area should be your first priority. Now, _Chosen of the Sun_ ," Erix said teasingly, "We should be on our way. I certainly wouldn't want to catch any flak from the Elders for not doing my job."

With a wave of his hand, Erix lead her onward towards the radiant sun, hovering brightly above the cliffs in the distance.

* * *

Cracking his neck, Pantheon stepped out from a small compound and into the open air. He sighed inwardly as a guard hurriedly approached him and handed him his spear and shield along with his other weapons that he often carried with him. Without a word further, he began to strap the numerous weapons to his body, hands moving in a fluid motion, eased by the familiarity of the motion. Once Pantheon had finished arming himself once more, he gave a small nod to the guard and began to walk towards his new destination.

Charging into the arena during the Rite had not been without its consequences. During the angry lecture at Elder Lervix's compound, it was made quite clear that those actions would not be tolerated in the future, paragon of the Rakkor youth or not. Pantheon had even, at one point, been threatened with an execution if he should fail to obey the institutions of the Rakkor once more. Overall, the meeting with Lervix hadn't exactly been what one would call enjoyable. But all of that didn't matter to Pantheon anymore. Leona had survived, and the fact even he had survived as well was a favorable situation which he recognized with great appreciation.

Though, it had come with an unexpected price. Rather than his life, Leona had gained her survival with her own freedom when she was claimed by the Solari. Pantheon was no fool. He knew that once one became a member of the Solari, they would always be under their watchful eye. Their rules would apply too, and one would be held up against their doctrine and their religion. Still, compared to death in the dirt arena, this alternative seemed like a small price to pay. Besides, at least he was still allowed to see her even though the Rakkor and Solari tended not to mix. Speaking of which, Pantheon was currently headed to see the orange haired warrior.

He turned away from the Rakkorian camp and walked along the gravel, stones crunching underfoot as made his way to the starting point of the cliff in order to get to the Solaris's entrance. It was quiet and peaceful along the road, the sounds of birds and other animals could be heard. For a while, he walked without a disturbance, his footsteps falling into a rhythmic pattern. But as Pantheon strode along the path, his acute ears picked up on a sound on something more than the sounds of the animals. No…it sounded like… _footsteps._

 _It looks like someone is tailing me. But who?_ Maintaining his composure as to not give away his advantage, he kept walking normally, all the while listening intently for the sound of the figure behind him. Suddenly, he heard the gravel scrape underneath someone else's feet, confirming his suspicions. _What do they want?_ _It would be wise for me to find out now, rather than confront them near the home of the Solari_. _I don't want to bring any troubles to them I can take care of now._ Pretending to be oblivious and bend over and fix something on his sandal, he listened once more for the noises of the intruder. Then, from the corner of his eye, he saw a figure move slowly through the trees, attempting to disguise itself among the forestry. _There._

In one swift movement, Pantheon leapt up and drew his spear, hurling it at the shadow, the metal tip knifing through the air as it flew towards the figure in the trees. The dark shadow emitted a yelp of surprise as the spear cut into the trunk of the wood next to its head. Drawing his sword, Pantheon advanced slowly towards the figure. Stopping at the edge of the trees, he glanced at the broken tree where the shadow had taken refuge. "Enough of this." Pantheon snarled, his patience wearing thin, "Come out and show your face or you will die in this forest!"

At first, there was no response from the figure. Time seemed to move sluggishly as Pantheon stood, awaiting possible retaliation from the creature. He steadied his breath, watching for any sings of aggression. Then suddenly, the figure stepped slowly from behind the shattered wood. As he did so, a glimmer of light flickered across his face for only an instant, but it was enough for Pantheon to recognize who it was.

"Titus?" Pantheon furrowed his brows in surprise, lowering his weapons. He had expected some sort of strange creature or a foreigner be following him, rather than one of his acquaintances. He had _certainly_ not expected Titus of all people "I had not realized that you had recovered so soon from your injuries. What are you doing out here?" Titus removed his dark hood that covered his face,revealing his dark hair that ran down the sides of his face. A small scar ran among the lower side of his jaw, an unwitting souvenir from his battle during the Rite.

Taking a breath to steady himself, Titus spoke, "I'm sorry for following you, but I needed some answers that I couldn't find from anyone else. I was going to ask you right when you left Lervix's hut, but you seemed so intent on going somewhere that I didn't want to interrupt you. I remember what happened to the last guy who asked you questions at a bad time" Pantheon frowned at his words, "Well, you can ask your question now. Be quick about it. I must be on my way very soon."

"It's about Leona. You're close friends with her right?"

Pantheon tensed at his question, his body becoming more alert and hostile. It was a moment before he gathered his words, speaking through clenched teeth. "We…are. What about her?"

Titus stepped back slightly, somewhat alarmed by the sudden changes in Pantheon but pressed on nonetheless. "Well, as you know, she spared my life in the arena a while ago. Something like that isn't supposed to happen in the Rite. What I want to know is why she did it. No one's ever shown kindness like that to me before. Besides, she had nothing to gain from that but she was prepared to die for me. I just need to understand why. But I can't ask Leona because she's with the Solari now, so I figured you were my best chance."

Pantheon stood silently for a while, pondering the stocky warrior's request. He had never thought Titus, whom he had always begged as a hotheaded meat bag, would be one to pick up so curiously on the actions of others, yet here he was, charging after him so he could understand Leona's actions. Titus had even nearly gotten himself killed on accident just because he wanted to know the answers. Pantheon chuckled inwardly at the thought. Now, it seemed that he was not the only one who was confused by Leona. Perhaps Titus had some merit to his character after all.

"Unfortunately Titus, I wouldn't know the answer to that. You would need to ask her yourself," Pantheon jerked his head towards the cliff in the distance, "And it just so happens that I'm headed to see her now. Let us make the journey together shall we?"

Titus gaped in surprise. Was the stone faced paragon of the Rakkor… _asking_ him for company? He had to be dreaming. Never in a million years would _Pantheon_ ask for anyone else's company but Leona's. It came off as very strange to him. Yet moments later, Titus found himself saying, "Sounds well to me." Pantheon nodded, satisfied with his response, "Very well. Let us move quickly. We'll need to arrive at the Solaris's front door before the set of the sun."

* * *

Leona sighed to herself as she looked around at her new surroundings. The hut that the Solari had given to her was much more comfortable than the one she had before. In addition, the Solari had given her a new set of weapons and armor to replace the ones she left behind in the Rakkorian camp. It was large and spacious, complete with lavatories and a nicely sized bed. Everything she would ever need was provided to her. Compared to the living conditions she had previously faced, this was nearly equivalent to living like a king. But despite all of these great things presented to her, she felt something was missing. But she couldn't quite place her finger on it…

A knock at the door roused her from her daydream. She looked over as the grinning face of Diana popped inside of her room. The white haired Solarian flashed her a brilliant smile as she rushed over to Leona's bedside. "Leona! It looks like you've already been all suited up to part of the Solari," she said, examining the new weapons that lay against her bed, "It certainly seems you're ready to play up to the role." Leona smiled slightly at the Solarian's chipper attitude. "Well, I have admit that all of this is really nice. Especially this place that the Elders have given me" Leona said, spreading her arms.

Diana nodded, pleased to hear her answer, "That's good to hear. On that note of the Elders, your official integration ceremony will be very soon. It's important that you attend the session on time." "Of course. You're going to be there as well aren't you?" Leona asked her companion. Diana nodded, "Of course. All of the ranking Solarian warriors will be there. It'll be a good chance to get to know the other if you're going to be one of us." Leona nodded, turning towards the side of her bed to organize her belongings. Diana opened her mouth once more to say something else, but was interrupted by the shuffle of heavy footsteps from outside of the door. They two warriors turned their gazes to their door as two figures, one shrouded in a dark cloak and the other donning more traditional Rakkor armor stepped into the room.

There was a moment of brief silence, the two parties somewhat surprised by the sudden arrival of the other. Then, Leona burst into a smile. "Pantheon!" She ran over, embracing him a hug, its openness catching Pantheon by surprise. It was certainly more direct that most of the previous years he had known her. She removed herself from the embrace, grinning at the stoic warrior. "Don't get me wrong, it's always good to see you once more. But why are you here? I thought the Rakkor were starting to train the Rite victors into small groups." Pantheon shrugged. "Perhaps. But their rules cannot restrain me too far. Coming to see you was something I could always make time for. Besides," Pantheon motioned with his head towards the figure standing a few feet from him. "There is someone else here who would like to talk to you as well."

Leona turned to face the stocky person standing beside Pantheon. She squinted through the darkness of his veil for a moment. "Is that you Titus?"

"It is very nice to see you too Leona" Titus bowed his head slightly, slipping his hood off from his head. Diana frowned at his voice. "Another Rakkorian? There's something you want isn't it? Even for the companion of Leona, it's rare that Rakkor come up here to Solarian religious grounds. You possibly can't be here solely for her company." Titus nodded apprehensively, somewhat uneasy of the pale haired Solarian's hostility. "Yes. I need to speak with Leona on a personal note." He locked eyes with the orange haired warrior, "I need to know about the Rite. Perhaps Leona and I can discuss this alone?"

Diana opened her mouth to protest, but Leona spoke first. "It's fine Diana. This is very important to him as a Rakkor warrior so I can understand why he wants this to be between as little people as possible." Diana muttered under her breath, shaking her head. "Alright then. I suppose its fine for a short while. I'll be waiting outside. Be sure to find that you ready for the ceremony Leona." With that, Diana walked out of the room silently, leaving behind the three Rakkorians. Pantheon locked eyes with Leona for a brief moment, a silent message passing between them before the paragon of the Rakkor followed Diana from the room.

* * *

Pantheon stood outside, quietly observing the funnel of activity of the Solari below him. It seemed that they were always participating in some sort of religious activity regarding the sun. Crazy, but Pantheon could respect their dedication. He himself could never be part of such a fanatical cult like that. He stood silently for a while longer, watching them run around like ants at work before he turned to face the pale haired Solarian behind him. "Are you going to watch me for the entirety of the day? The Solari are supposed to revere the time the sunlight gives them are they not?" Pantheon said gruffly.

Diana smirked at his comment, "Very well, I'll get straight to it," She shifted, leaning her shoulder against a birch tree next to her, "My question is, why are you here?" Pantheon looked at her, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Titus is here because Leona saved his ass in the Rite and almost paid for it with her life. It's pretty obvious why Titus would want to know why she did it, given the fact that the Rakkor run a strongest will survive policy. But you," her magenta eyes shifted over Pantheon slowly, "You on the other hand have no real reason to go through all of the trouble of passing Solari security just to visit her. She hasn't done any life altering things with you. Besides, you two said it yourselves in the arena that you aren't in a relationship. So if you don't have any obligations to her, why are you here?"

Pantheon stood still, unable to utter a word. He pondered her questions, his voice unable to find itself in the mess of his thoughts. "Well…" Pantheon struggled for words, "She is my companion after all. We trained for many suns together for the eventual Rite since we were mere children. I simply would like to maintain a good standing with one of my few acquaintances that I have within the tribe."

"Oh? Well I don't see that you've gone through even the fraction of the trouble to visit the others as much as you do her" Diana laughed, " It's amazing how out of touch and oblivious you are given your reputation as a tactical warrior. It's impossible to keep running and denying what's in front of your face forever paragon. Bottling up something that you feel you belong to will not go away and will only serve to bring you down further."

Pantheon raised his brows in scrutiny. "It seems that you speak from experience Diana. I have no such connection."

"Tch. Anyways, the bond is obvious between you two. No matter the warrior you might be, you are a human in the end. Think upon this during your time here. You would be wise to see sense in my words and move quickly paragon. I also hear that there are others who seek to establish a connection with her as well."

Pantheon ignored her words, though he could not prevent a sickening feeling that spread in his stomach. He grit his teeth. "She is a solely companion of mine. I simply wish to take care of her and ensure that her future here in the Solari is one of fruitful promise. It is only the right thing to do."

She scoffed, "Still ignorant of the truth I see. You will recognize eventually. The question is whether you can do it in time or not. Will you purposely leave behind your calling paragon of Targon? You might believe you have found true salvation in combat, but in time you will see the error of your ways"

With that, the pale haired Solarian turned away and left Pantheon to his spot alone on the hill. He shook his head vigorously, clearing the foolish conversation from his head. What a _meaningless_ amount of time he had spent talking. He knew his purpose. He was a friend looking after another, nothing more, nothing less. But as he stared at the burning sun on the horizon, he could not help but be reminded of the orange locks of her hair.

 _Only a friend?_

* * *

 **Authyor's Note: Sorry for the late update. Hope you guys like this Chapter.**

 **Until next time,**

 **-C. Geng**


	7. Chapter 7: Corruption

The sky had turned dark before the two warriors eventually exited the Solarian living quarters. The bright sun slowly faded to twilight as Pantheon watched as them talk, gestures and words being exchanged as if they were old friends rather than two strangers brought together by a revelation. As he leaned against the tree, he could not help but wonder what exactly they had spoken about. It wasn't his place to ask about something so personal but his curiosity got the better of him. He continued to gaze at the pair a moment more, before Titus shook hands with Leona and turned to walk away but stopped as he passed Pantheon. The two silently processing each other's presence, unsure of what exactly to say. This was, after all, undoubtedly a very strange event for them both. It was silent minute before any one spoke.

"Well, what became of it?"

Titus nodded his head slowly, "It was…what I needed to hear for a long time. I learned some things that I would have never learnt among the Rakkor about myself." He paused, unsure of what exactly to say to the stoic warrior. He had invited him to come along the trip but it wasn't exactly clear what their relationship was. "It's late Pantheon. I'm headed back to the camp as of now. It would be wise of you to return as well. Your companion has advised me that the Solaris don't enjoy visitors, especially after dark. " Pantheon frowned, somewhat annoyed by Titus's comment. "Don't overstep your boundaries Titus. I'll return when I am finished here, consequences or not. You're not the only one here with a purpose. Do not forget it was I who brought you here."

Titus opened his mouth to retort, but quickly clamped it shut. Pantheon seemed…particularly _on_ _edge_ at this certain moment. He wasn't sure why exactly, but he sure as hell didn't want to be on the receiving end. Better for him to just move along and let Pantheon handle himself. "Alright, just a warning..." he muttered before turning to leave. Pantheon watched him go for a moment before turning back to look at the warrior standing on at the gates of the living quarters. He sighed, nervously taking a breath to steady his nerves.

 _Why was he so jittery?_

He had faced countless life or death situations in the past and he had hardly felt even the slightest tinge of fear. Without a regard for harm to his body, he had always been the first in the fray. So why in Targon was this so difficult? It was a simple question; that's was all. There was certainly no need to feel nervous or anxious over something so trivial. After all, hadn't he always told others that they certainly were friends? At least, that's what he had rationalized it to be beforehand. Yet here he was, frozen and rooted to the ground unable to command his body to move. _How would I even begin to say it? How would she react? Perhaps Titus was right, I rushed things a bit too quickly. I should head back to Targ-_

"Pantheon?"

Preoccupied with his thoughts, Pantheon had not even noticed that Leona had walked over to the tree where he had been standing still, staring into space for the past several minutes. She joined him in leaning against the tree, clad in her new orange and gold Solarian outfit. For a moment, Pantheon could not speak, the words unable to come to his mind to say to the girl in front of him as he stared at her smile and her beautiful hair. "Excuse me, I was…ah...was thinking about the whole situation." Leona chuckled at his obvious excuse. "It's alright Pantheon, there has been quite a lot of change recently. I'm still reeling to take it all in as well. Our situation isn't exactly what one would call normal."

Pantheon nodded slowly at her words, relived that she didn't find him to be a fool. "What of your conversation with Titus? It seemed that he was very eager to get some things off his chest by asking you some questions."

"Well, he was nearly killed and by the rules of the Rakkorian tradition, should have been left dead on the field of the arena." Leona frowned, involuntarily recalling those tense memories, "I'm sure it came as a huge shock to him when I decided to refrain from killing him. No Rakkor in the arena would have expected that either. I think that he's just simply curious to know why he was spared. After all, the Rakkorian camp leaders don't exactly place self-esteem to be the top of their list of priorities."

"Heh, yes. They uh… they certainly don't." Pantheon looked down, nervously rubbing his sweaty hands together. If he was to ask his question, it would have to be now. Time was running out. But his body just would not cooperate with him, the words to his question once more getting stuck in his throat. _Gods in Targon this was hard._ "Pantheon?" He looked up as Leona scooted closer to him so that their shoulders were touching. He was all too aware and conscious of the fact that her warmth felt so sensitive against his skin. His mind began to ramble, slightly panicking at the developing situation. Somehow, he was able to muster the words that he had been waiting so long to say. "Leona…uh I was wondering if I could ask you a question." Leona made a face at his words. "What are you talking about? Of course you can ask me anything. Why wouldn't you be able to?" Pantheon gulped down his nervousness. There was no turning back from what he was about to do now. It was time; somehow, this felt even more nerve-racking than the Rite of Kor itself. He closed his eyes and prepared his much frayed nerves for what was to come out of his mouth.

* * *

Diana watched from an above hill at the two figures standing at the tree, deep in thought as they unconsciously got closer to one another moment by moment. They seemed as if they were two parts of one whole, rather than separate pieces consulting one another. She chuckled to herself. It seemed that Pantheon had taken her advice. Perhaps it was not exactly the way she would have done it herself, but he was certainly making an attempt and Diana had to give credit where credit was due.

But the time for dawdling had already long since passed the current time. Like Pantheon, she had to venture into new territory herself. Pulling herself up, she made her way slowly towards the paved path, lit with many beautiful Solarian style lanterns. Stopping by a small hole nicely concealed by the road, she retrieved a brown bag containing with the objects she would need for her revelations tonight. It was time for her to come out of the shade of the sun.

Bag in hand, Diana moved swiftly among the lit path, her steps treaded by the shining moonlight. It was quiet out, with no one to see the girl moving quickly through the night. At last, Diana reached the doors of the building that housed the Solarian Elders. She closed her own eyes and prepared herself mentally. Though she did not expect that the Elders would be completely understanding and respectful for what she was about to show them, Diana understood she could never live a full life if she did not show this side of her. She could live for a short period with a disguise on her face, but eventually she would have to reveal the truth. She would find herself, whether it would be through the guise of the sun or the moon.

Renewing her grasp on the bag once more, she opened the door and entered the building, the door clunking behind her as it shut away the light that shone from the path built by the Solari.

* * *

Leona's eyes widened. But Pantheon did not know what she was thinking. _Is she happy? Or most likely, perhaps she is contemplating on how to kill me with her bare hands for asking such as insane question. Lords of the Sky this was a terrible idea. Perhaps death by swor-_

Then, of all things that Pantheon expected to happen, Leona smiled warmly, and to his immense surprise, took his roughed hands, sculptured by the many years of combat and wielding swords and spears in to her own. Pantheon swore he could feel his heart palpating as he watched her warm brilliant smile and felt the warmth of Leona's hand spread through his body. He had never known such a… _warm_ feeling in his life. His expression must have betrayed his inner emotions as Leona giggled slightly at him before speaking. "Pantheon, it is not any weakness to feel such a way towards another. Though, it is a bit strange as for all the years we have trained you have never revealed such an emotion. But I suppose it's only natural as your guardians have always taught you the art of combat but never the idea of compassion. It is an ideal that you are feeling right now. And I would say that Aurelius and Diana are right about what you feel; it is truly a new found love."

Pantheon stood frozen in place. _She had accepted what he had said!_ Though he had sounded like a complete fool, she had easily taken in his question! But there was something that she had left unsaid rather than spoken that left him more uneasy. He hesitated for a moment, unsure whether or not he should continue with this endeavor. "I've read about love in the books that some of the Elders have given me," Pantheon spoke slowly and quietly, "If you believe that my faith in this concept is true, then it is likely that you are right Leona. But I know that this bond would need both to be successful." He looked into those amber eyes. He wet his lips and forced himself to utter the last phrase. "Would you….return the same?"

For a moment, there was no sound passing between the two. There was only the gazing connection between the irises of crimson and a golden amber that set each other aflame. Then, in a sudden movement, Leona leaned over, quickly closing the gap between their faces and caught his lips with hers. An explosion of feeling erupted within the Rakkor, his brain completely short circuiting as he for the first time breathed in her scent. It was a wonderful feeling, laced with a certain sweetness. He had _never_ in his life been so stunned by such an act. All but too soon, she pulled away, leaving Pantheon in a wake of shocking and confusion. Leona cupped his face, leaning forward to touch her forehead against his, their lips meeting once more. She pulled away and smiled at the bewildered Rakkorian paragon. "From the day since we were children, you've always been there for me and supported me, even against the pressure of so many other odds. Every day I watched you struggle against the combat of the tests of the Rakkor for my own sake. How could I not return the feeling when you have done so much for me already?" She took his large hands in her own once more, running her fingers along the grooves of his hand. "But you were always so devoted to the Rakkor ways as well. It was a difficult for me to voluntarily distract you with things that could interfere with the goals you wished to achieve. And so I stayed back and waited. But I always had faith that you would find me. It seems that my gamble has payed off."

Pantheon shook his head in disbelief, wrapping his arms around the smaller Solarian warrior. She happily received his touch, snuggling against the leather of his tunic. "You cheat yourself too much Leona. I always would have given you my priority over the Rakkor edifices. You're much too important for me to lose." They stood a moment longer, enjoying the warmth of the newfound relationship they had discovered among one another that neither thought would had ever existed. Leona leaned against him, happy to have someone with her who was now not only her close friend but also someone she knew truly cared for her. It wasn't exactly what her fantasy of a romance was but she would take what she could get, especially under these circumstances.

She turned to him once more, glancing up at her companion. "Well, I should get going. I have to attend the Solarian ceremony tomorrow and I'm sure people will be angry if I don't show up on time. Diana would have my head." Pantheon nodded in agreement, his composure reconstructed. "Alright then. Allow me to walk you back then."

* * *

What had she done?

She had meant only for it to be a truce of peace between the two. Now, she was in the midst of violence, murder and hatred. But they had provoked her hadn't they? She had come to them in peace but they had only turned the corners of misunderstanding and war. Typical of the sun to overshadow the finer parts. She stepped over the bodies on the floor, their flesh marked by the dusty wrath of the moon.

What was done was done. There was no changing what had happened here. It was time to run and leave her once beloved home behind. But she could only watch the fires burn upon the ground, the blood coating the dust that split from the altars.

Voices approached near, clambering among the marked ruins of the building. She had to leave now, or the entire order would fall with her once more. And she had to do what it took for its preservation. But before she went, she took one last look at the destruction she had left in her wake. _What was it to be of the moon?_

The voices grew louder, many of them shouting in panic at the desolation they encountered. They were moving quickly towards her. She had to go. Now.

* * *

The pair stopped in front of Leona's building, their hands lingering amongst each other for a moment longer. Leona placed her warm hands on Pantheon chest and looked up at the warrior. "Will you return to see me soon? It gets lonely here sometimes." Pantheon smiled and leaned down to plant a small kiss on her forehead. "You know I will when I can. I do not care for the Rakkor and Solarian boundary differences."

They stood for a moment longer, enjoying each other's presence for a moment longer before Leona moved towards the entrance. "HEY! LEONA!" The pair turned towards the a figure, clad in full Solarian combat armor. He ran over, huffing and puffing, his face red with exertion. "Erix?" Leona's voice was one of concern and question, "What's wrong?! Why are you screaming all over the place? Shouldn't you be asleep right now?" "Leona," he puffed, "You need to come with me right now. There's been an attack on the Solari! All of the Elders have been killed!" Leona staggered his words. "WHAT?! What are you saying? Have you gone crazy?"

"You need to come with me right now Leona. We have to follow up with the other Solarian units that are converging towards the location of the attack. It's not clear yet whether or not it was a single attacker or whether there'll be more of wherever the hell they came from!" Leona pursued her lips, shaken by this event. "Alright, let's go then. Lead the way." She turned to Pantheon but before she could say anything, he cut her off. "Don't speak. I'll follow you. An attack on the Solari are as much of an attack on the Rakkor as well." She nodded, mouthing a silent thank you before the three figures set off

…

The scene that they had stepped into was one that Leona had not expected to see. In place of the grand temple that housed the Solarian Elders that she had met with all not too long ago a broken building, shattered like a glass sculpture. But as she would come to see, that was not even the worst of the destruction. "Make way! Make way!" Erix shouted as he led the two warriors through the crowds of milling Solari at the edge of the destruction. All around their feet were rubble, statues and artifacts crushed by the evident attack.

"Halt." A Solarian guard stepped before them, blocking their path deeper into the ruins. "No one is to go further beyond this point." Erix snarled at the man who had stepped in front of them. "Oh yeah? On whose orders?"

"It's not for you to worry about! Now leave, before I send you off with my sword rather than my set of words." The guard scowled, tightening his grip on his weapons. Pantheon moved quickly in front of Leona, hand on his own sword in turn. "Try it, and you shall fall where you stand. Do not challenge the power of the Rakkor"

"It's all right Ergon. Allow them to pass through." a familiar voice called out. Pantheon watched in surprise as a very familiar figure stepped forward to greet them. "Elder Aurelius?!" Pantheon spat, anger against the leader still evident in his tone. "What are you doing here?"

The robed man sighed as the trio stepped past the guard, with Pantheon eyeing the man with hostility and suspicion. "The better question is, what are you three doing here? This isn't exactly a place for you to be at this time" Erix stopped and turned to face the Elder. "With all due respect, we came because we feared that this may have been part of a larger attack." The young warrior paused, "Speaking of which, why are you here with the Solari Elder?"

"For now, I've been appointed to be the head Solarian Elder by Lervix." Pantheon scoffed. "You? Now the leader of the Solari? How foolish of the other Elders." Aurelius turned to face him, a sorrowful yet purposed glint in his dark eyes. "Yes Pantheon, I've been selected for this position. And I will do my best to keep everything in order." Pantheon started to open his mouth once more to challenge the Elder, but Leona placed her hand on his, silencing his remark. "I'm glad for you Elder." Leona nodded towards him. "You are leading the investigation are you not?"

"Yes, I've been tasked with both finding the case of this attack as well as the heading the Solarian leadership once this is set and done."

"Then, with all due respect Elder Aurelius, can you tell us what you've found so far?" Leona asked.

"Of course young one. As of now, we know it was only a lone attacker. There only seems to be presence, rather than a certain group. We are still currently attempting to find the exact identity or affiliation with the attacker." "What are the casualties?" Erix inquired.

"It seems that only the Elders were killed. Which means that this was a planned and targeted attack rather than a raid by another tribe." Aurelius frowned at the mention of the Elders. Leona noticed the facial expression. "What is it my Elder?"

Elder Aurelius looked up to see all of the three warriors gazes upon him. "The Elder's style of death," Aurelius began slowly, "Was the most interesting of the attack. There are no external wounds from anything such as a spear or knife. The Elders were…well nearly vaporized."

"Vaporized? Now you must have gone senile as well as cowardly Aurelius." Pantheon snarled at the gray haired man. "I doubt there is any magic developed enough among any of the tribes here to have warranted such a death." Aurelius nodded at the warrior, choosing to ignore his snide remark. "That was what I thought as well. Which all leads to only one possibility. It was one of the Solari that did this deed. Only the Solari have any magic close to what is seen here."

"A Solarian slaughtering their own Elders?! Perhaps you are senile old man!" cried Erix. "There is no Solari in here that would ever betray our leaders. It couldn't have been one of us!"

Aurelius opened his mouth to respond but a solider, one of Aurelius', came over and whispered something in his ear. He paled slightly as he turned away and thanked the messenger.

"There seems to have been a development. Follow me."

…

Leona frowned as they turned the corner to the entrance of Diana's housing. "Why are we here Aurelius? Shouldn't we be out finding the attacker?"

Aurelius said nothing as they stopped in front of a wooden door, engraved with the insignia of the Solari. Without a further word, he pushed open the door. "Hey wait, shouldn't you knock?!" Erix called after the Elder.

They entered a dark and cold room, a cold draft blowing across the expanse of the room. At a glance, it seemed that it was just a normal room. But upon a closer inspection, the bedding sheet was stripped away leaving the mattress bare and empty. Solarian insignias on the walls were replaced with some other symbol that looked suspiciously like… _a moon._ Other personal objects were gone as well, leaving the room barren and seemingly as if no one had ever lived here.

"What the hell? Where the hell is Diana? I didn't see her around the Elders location where she should have been." Erix shook his head in confusion. "Where could she be?"

"I'm sure she somewhere, helping the Solari." Leona responded. "She's always been one to take the initiative."

Pantheon glanced at the Elder, who was being uncharacteristically silent, hovering in the shadows. Their eyes locked and in that moment, Pantheon understood all of the implications that were about to fall on the two oblivious warrior. Pantheon nodded at Aurelius, aware of the things that were about to befall them. Hate him as he did, Pantheon still appreciated the fact the Elder waited for his consent to finally say what was most likely to be the truth. She had no connections to him; they had never really been too much in close contact. But she was Leona's mentor and her first friend among the Solari. She had meant a lot to someone who cared about friends. Erix was no exception as well. They had form a bond among the youth of the Solari.

"Ahem" Aurelius cleared his throat, causing the two Solarians to turn from their discussion. "My scouts have already reported that there appears to be no sign of Diana anywhere among the territory of the Solari." He took a deep breath, "Furthermore, I have received reports of a lone figure moving away from Mount Targon, minutes after a fellow Solarian guard spotted Diana fleeing from the direction of the Elder's temple."

There was a silence, both Leona and Erix stared at the Elder in anticipation of what he had to say. "Well, what are you trying to tell us Elder? I'm afraid I don't get whatever the hell you're hinting at here."

"One more thing. A lock of hair was found by the ruins of the temple."

"Well, that could be anyone's hair," Leona retorted.

"I wish that were true, but further from the lock, we found a small ceremonial dagger of the Solarian officers. I had some of your fellow Solarians identify the insignias engraved on the dagger." Aurelius closed his eyes as he uttered the last phrase would change the fate of the two soldiers of light before him forever.

"It is undeniable. The attacker was Diana."

* * *

 _Heyo. Sorry for my lack of updates recently. I've come upon the season of testing with school. It's quite the painful experience. But it's mostly passed with a few more to go. But anyways, I hoped you guys enjoyed the chapter! I be most likely updating more regularly now since i have a bit more time._

 _Canon: Aurelius compromised Leona's safety in the past. Pantheon just can't find the trust to forgive him just yet._

 _Diana is an influential figure to many of the younger Solari. She is a recruiter in the story after all._

 _Pantheon sucks with girls..._

 _Until next time,_

 _-C. Geng_


	8. Chapter 8: Crossroads

Lervix sighed, rubbing his hands against his temple to ease the aching pain that throbbed in his head. He leaned back against his chair and quietly took a newfound appreciation for the quietness in his office. _What a disgusting mess. May the gods of Targon have mercy on me._

The day had certainly not been kind to the Head Elder of the Rakkor. Since the recent attack from one of the Solari's own warriors, Aurelius had asked him to remain on high alert and to scout around to see if anyone had helped Diana with the misdeed. He had been asked to use both his position and his sway to carry out what Aurelius had deemed necessary for the safety of the Solari. So, Lervix had been assigning squads to patrol around the mountain all day and the amount of leaders and delegations that came into his office to speak with him seemed endless. The work he had received was extremely confusing as well and didn't really help to ease the turmoil that had come from this incident. All in all, it was times like these that he felt the years of his age weigh down on him. He wrinkled his brow in disgust at the stack of official papers scattered across the table in front of him.

"Sir?" Lervix turned to see one of his sentries standing by the door, his hand held up in a traditional Rakkorian salute. "Sir, a notice from the Solari leader. He requests your presence along with the other Elders at a summit upon Zenith Hill." Lervix inhaled a deep breath for a moment before responding. "Very well. Thank you for the notice Ergon." The soldier snapped to attention once more before closing the door to the office behind him. Lervix closed his eyes and leaned back against his chair, the oily skin on his wrinkled face creasing as he grimaced in thought. Sighing, he rose quietly, his ashen white robe falling around him as he stood to move towards the door. It seemed just when his day was already bad enough that it had just gotten even worse.

…

There was a buzz among the Elders in the drafty ceremonial room that overlooked the entire Solarian establishment from a high vantage point. It was a beautiful building, built of white marble with flowers adoring the entrances with statues of past honored Solari lined the hallways, commemorating their glory. Ancient weapons and relics decorated the walls. It was one of the most symbolical and memorable buildings for the Solari. But for the Elders and members that were here, that beauty went unnoticed. Many of the Rakkor and Solari instead, talked amongst themselves, mummers passing by as gossip and other pieces of news were exchanged. Information and opinions were passed about the newfound situation of the Solarian warrior who had betrayed them.

Elder Aurelius stood at the front of the crowd, silently watching the congregation of leaders mill about. He could feel the uneasy tension among them, the way the moved nervously, jostling one another as they moved to take their seats in the room. But they had all of the right reasons to be concerned over this convention. It was no secret that what was about to begin here could set the presence of the entire future of the Rakkor and the Solari; and all of it was in his hands. How things proceeded here could either draw a conflict among the Solari and cause chaos or perhaps even a civil war. Everything was banking on him and what he did as a leader; and he knew it. Aurelius now of all times could not afford to make a mistake.

"Aurelius." The Elder turned to see Lervix step up to one of the seats beside him. Despite the gloomy task ahead of him, he smiled at the sight of his old friends. Though the two may have had their differences in the past, Aurelius was glad to have him along for these uncertain times. It was always good to know that he had someone else he could trust. "Elder Lervix. Glad you could make it to the meeting." Lervix scoffed. "Bah. I already had enough on my plate with the whole Solari incident in the Rite of Kor. And now I have to deal with this as well. It only serves to burden both of us old men further no?" The white robed Elder sighed for a moment, pondering about the implications of the past events. "But I will admit, this situation in itself is very unique. A Solari betraying her own? To think I would live to see the day something like this happened. The penalty for betrayal and desertion is death even for the warriors of light correct?"

Aurelius nodded cautiously, "And that is exactly what I am concerned about." He glanced around before leaning closer to Lervix so others would not catch his words, "I do not know whether or not the Solari will consent to the execution of one of their own to that of a common criminal. I may be their leader, but I must act along with the will of the people. I believe that there will be a strong likelihood there will be a fierce division in our consensus to do anything to pursue the girl."

Lervix sat in thought for a moment, contemplating the situation at hand before finally shaking his head. "And here I thought I was the one stuck with the hard decisions. It sounds like there will be no clear answer among your constituents. To preserve the Solari, perhaps you must invoke _that_ power upon the others."

Aurelius sighed, turning away. "Perhaps. But regardless, we must begin the meeting here to decide the fate of our civilization today. I can only hope that I am able to prevent the fall of hundreds of years of culture that our forefathers have built." With a wave of his hand, Aurelius signaled several guards to give the announcement of the start of the congregational meeting. He pursued his lips together as he watched the crowd slowly disperse into their proper seating. He could not help but feel a sense of foreboding begin to expand in his chest. For one way or another, the fall of the Rakkor could be very near.

…

A drop of dew fell from the leaves overhead, the remnants of a wetter morning now passed. The leaves rustled in the wind, sunlight dancing across the green petals. A slight breeze rustled the grass upon the field, sending the whispers of nature rolling through the air. It was strangely quiet and peaceful for the Solari's camp for all were attending the meeting held by Aurelius. The once loud noises of swords clashing or congregations praying now took its absence among the dirt fields of the camp.

Leona leaned against a tree, gazing at the sun and its rays, shimmering across the gnarled bark of the old tree beside her. She sighed breathing in the quiet surroundings, closing her eyes as she rested her heavy head against the tree. For one of the first times in her life, Leona felt truly…miserable. She could feel it welling inside of her, like a pool of oil stinging the surface as she reflected upon her feelings.

When they had concluded that it was Diana, her mind had gone haywire on her. She hadn't even really given Pantheon a proper goodbye before quickly returning to her room. All she could think about was the jagged feeling inside her stomach as hung her head in her arms.

 _Why was it her? Why would she do it? Why would she betray me, betray US? Why? WHY?_

"Leona?" Erix walked over, garbed in a more formal gold and white Solarian robe. "Hey, you ok?

Leona turned, startled by his sudden appearance. "Oh! Erix. I didn't see you."

"Sorry about startling you like that. Didn't mean to do that. What are you doing out here anyways? Shouldn't you be at that meeting Elder Aurelius is holding? Nearly every single person of power both of the Rakkor and Solari are attending right now."

Leona sighed. "Yes, I should be but…" Leona looked out to the brilliant horizon once more. "I just can't really focus right now. I don't think it would have been the best idea for me to attend in this state."

She was quiet for a moment before speaking in a low voice. "I don't understand. There was simply just no motive her to do this." Erix, who had begun to walk away turned and spun around at the renewed sound of her voice. "What?"

Leona shook her head before lifting herself to look at Erix. "It's just…how could she betray us? Even now, I'm still having trouble coming to terms with it all. I guess it just doesn't seem real that Diana would have done something like this. I mean, she had some of the best relations with the Elders didn't she? Then why would she just slaughter them like they were animals? This just doesn't seem like something Diana would do!"

Erix remained silent. In truth, he was as hurt as she was. The news had staggered him a great deal; and that was putting it mildly. He contemplated whether or not to tell Leona of his and Diana's past, something that had been hidden to the knowledge of most of the Solari. Then again, it would be much better if he kept _that_ a secret. After all, he didn't need the Solari to investigate him as well…

He sighed heavily at his fumbled thoughts. "Well, I'm just as confused as you are. Diana always been loyal to the Solari cause since the day she could walk on both feet. Hell, I've known her since I was only a kid so essentially, she's one of the people I've known the longest. I might not show it but…it cuts me pretty deep as well. Never would have thought she would have been one to turn her back on a cause too."

A thought flashed across Leona's mind, her hand involuntarily digging into the bark as it came into her thoughts. She willed it away and consciously relaxed her hand. _Relax, there's no way they would do that…right?"_

"You ok?" Leona looked up to see Erix watching her somewhat intently. "You seem a bit on edge right now. Do you need to go see the healer?" Leona grimaced before she spoke uncertainly once more. "Erix…do you think that the Solari will hunt Diana?"

Erix swallowed nervously at her question. He stood, absently kicking a stone near his feet for several moments before finally giving his answer. "I…suppose that would be the situation. Even an _attempt_ on the life of an Elder is punishable by death. With the fact that Diana _killed_ all of the Elders means there is a near certain chance of execution for her if the Solari apprehend her. That is, if they even take her alive. It's likely with what Diana has done, that she won't give herself up either. I'm sure Diana knows what would happen to her." Erix gazed in wonder and thought at the blazing sun in the deep blue sky of Mount Targon. "And with all of the leadership changes that have been going on, who knows when or how we'll do it…"

…

Hot and stuffy. The fact that the room was full of people as well as the fact that he was clad in near full battle armor didn't exactly help the Pantheon's irritated mood as well. He was only here solely because he knew Leona needed some time away from the scene of the political workings. If not for her, well, Pantheon would have no interest in the political affairs of the Rakkor. He was a warrior, both in the mind and the art, not someone who sat behind and desk and gave orders.

Sighing, he sank against his creaky wooden chair as he watched Aurelius took center stage to begin the meeting. Pantheon's mouth twisted in a conflicting thought at the mention of the Elder's name. Though it had already been several months since the Rite of Kor, Pantheon had not forgotten the misdeed by Aurelius. And while Pantheon could say that the Elder was certainly a capable leader, he was not able to say in sincerity that he trusted him. Nevertheless, it was a time of crisis. He supposed to could set his differences aside in order to work with the Elder that he had once trusted. At least for now.

"Very well." Aurelius's voice boomed across the room. "My thanks to each and every one of you for your attendance here today on this very important issue. It is an issue that stretches across both the integrity of the Rakkor and the Solari." The Elder paused for a moment to draw in his breath, "As you may know, yesterday, Diana, a member of the Solari, attacked and killed all of the Elders in the main temple. She has left no survivors and has fled all jurisdictions and territorial grounds of the Rakkor." A murmur ran through the crowd causing an uneasy tension to thicken in the room.

"It is vital for us to bring this heretic to the justice of our system. Otherwise, our tribe as we know it is vulnerable to collapse. Who knows what chaos and invitation to attack this could bring if we do not bring those who are guilty to order. We must find and capture Diana; and we must do it quickly for time is running out."

There was an unsettled silence. The Solari, dazed at this call to action on one of their own, silently pondered the situation.

"You speak of an excellent plan Elder," a voice shouted from the back of the room. "But do you even know the whereabouts of this girl? Did she not escape under the guise of confusion that spawned following the previous Elder's death? How can we bring her to our justice when we cannot even find her?!"

Aurelius opened his mouth to speak but the eruption of other voices from several members in the crowd drowned him out. Within moments, the buzz inside of the congregation had grown too loud for anybody to hear the forgotten Elder. It was as if he was but a drop in an angry torrential downpour.

"SILENCE!" boomed Lervix. The chaos suddenly ceased, all sets of eyes now placed onto the fuming man. "Look at you all," the white robed Elder snarled, "Look at your trivial arguments among each other. Your mouth runs but your ears are idle. You will respect and listen to the head Elder until he is finished talking. You may challenge him after but you must allow him to speak. The late Elders would be ashamed to see the fragmented state you are all in, both Solari and Rakkor."

Lervix gave a nod to Aurelius who turned to a now quiet and subdued crowd. "As I was stating," Aurelius continued, "We must bring Diana to our justice system in order to prevent chaos you already have seen beginning to seep in among us." He turned to the leader who had bursted out earlier, "And alas, you are wrong as well. My scouts have found a place not far from here known as the Institute of War, a place of great warriors as well as advanced magic. It is believed, and very likely, that this is Diana's destination. It is where she can be offered protection from us and from others who may seek vengeance upon her. And it is also a place where she may find more allies to embolden her cause. Therefore, we must act quickly before she possibly becomes too intertwined within that system and it becomes much too difficult for us to intervene."

"But that may prove difficult may it not?" a female warrior spoke up, "It seems very likely that Diana will be able to reach the halls of this so called Institute before our warrior may reach her. Shall we risk starting a war with this group that we know little about? Our warriors may be superior on the battlefield, but if they should have some magic we do not know about, it could prove very risky."

"I agree," nodded Lervix, "It does seem as though we are a step behind. We will only have a chance at Diana when she is in this Institute. But it seems that the protection may be substantial given the fact that Diana has chosen to flee there. It would be unwise for us to simply send warriors there and risk provoking a war that has the potential to destroy us. As confident as I am with my Rakkor's ability to fight, the preservation of our ways must come first."

"Very well," Aurelius conceded, "These are all fine points. But we must at least monitor Diana to keep track of her and make sure that we do not lose her again. Additionally, we must also find a way to gage the strength of the Institute. For now, the only way that I am able to see these goals accomplished is that we must send one of our warriors to take part in this Institute as well. We cannot risk sending too many else alert or arouse any suspicions, but we cannot allow none to be sent to monitor her for that allows her too much freedom."

"But how will we go about choosing our candidate?" asked a voice of an elderly gentleman in front, "The warrior must be formidable enough to ensure that they will be able to survive the trials that he or she encounters, as well as perhaps another assassination attempt by Diana. And no Rakkor has ever made a journey this far out from Mount Targon since the founding of the tribe. Who would risk themselves for such an encounter?"

The room stood silent, not a single voice could be heard for these men were political leaders. Their time of youth and combat had already long since passed in to the void of time. With old age creeping down on them, the inevitable fear of death had also begun to taint their hearts. And with the recent murders of the great leaders of the Rakkor, many were still mourning their deaths. Their abilities to fight would be impaired as well as their judgement which would be clouded by their anger.

"I'll do it," an all too familiar voice suddenly spoke. Everyone turned to see the paragon of the Rakkor leaning casually against his chair. "I'll volunteer to journey to this institute. Unless you see any others here that you would like to go in my place. In that case, you should name them now. " Pantheon glanced around. There were some whispers and looks of question and suspicion but no one voiced dissent. "I suppose that it is settled then? The strange lack of arguments is unsettling, especially among the Rakkor."

Aurelius met the eyes of Lervix. They watched each other for a moment, a silent agreement passing between them before Lervix nodded ever so slightly and Aurelius turned back to face the now standing Rakkor. "Very well. If no one has any dissent over who shall journey to the Institute to search for Diana, the head council will cast its vote for Pantheon. Are there any other names that any would like to mention?" Once more, there was only silence that filled the room among the elderly warriors, their eyes focused only on the young warrior that stood before them. "Very well then. Come forth warrior of the Rakkor."

Pantheon stood and walked slowly towards the front of the crowd. He could feel many sets of eyes on him but he kept moving until he had reached the front. He knelt before the two Elders. "Pantheon, you will be the one to go to the Institute! From this day forth, you will represent the Rakkor in all forms of negotiations with other peoples. I, Aurelius Varin, Elder of the Solari, name you Pantheon, the Artisan of War! Go to the Institute and make the Rakkor known in the hearts of all of its enemies!"


	9. Chapter 9: The Brewing of a Storm

The sun's rays glowed harshly, stinging the land beneath it. Wind blew it into the air, creating a storm of molten sand. Dust blew and sands shifted, creating conditions only those who were truly insane would dare to trespass among its land.

But among the howling winds and shifting sands came a figure, cloaked in a pale purple garb, its sleeves and hood tattered and worn from the days of traveling in the barren lands. The sunlight beat down harshly upon the figure, as if its rays seemingly attempted to extinguish her spirit. The ground shifted beneath her, sands giving away to where the figure stepped, stumbling as it traversed the terrain.

For days on end, Diana had been moving without rest or food. While it had granted her more breathing room against her pursuers, she was fatigued, nearly incapable of sustain her own any longer. It wouldn't be long now. If she were to travel much longer, she would undoubtedly fall prey to the environment. And yet she couldn't rest, for those who were following her would find her, and in her present state, it would mean certain death to confront them. And she had not yet fulfilled her purpose.

Diana suddenly grunted as she stumbled, her foot giving as she tumbled down a small dune of sand. Collapsing to her knees, she kneeled for a moment to attempt to catch her breath. The soft ground scorched her knees, but she was too tired to move.

She gazed at the sky. As always, the sun glared down at her, as if there was a being inside that knew of her betrayal and of her deeds. Diana shook her head. Perhaps she was going crazy in the desert heat after all. Perhaps…she was wrong in her decision. It was now clearer than ever that she alone would not make it to her destination. Clasping her hands together, she closed her eyes and bowed, her head nearly touching the shifting sands beneath.

 _Moon in the sky. Your presence is not seen right now as the sun reveres itself high upon the heavens. But I am in time of need. Please. Grant me the strength so I may carry out the duties that have been blessed to me upon the way of the moon. Grant me strength for my own feet and my own soul are failing me._

For a heart lurching moment, there was no response, Diana only hearing the constant howling of the sands around her as she lifted her head. But for a brief moment, she saw a crescent suddenly carve itself out in the sands writhing in front of her before it disappeared, swept away by the shifting ground.

Diana bowed her head once more to the heavens above her. The moon was still watching over her after all.

* * *

"Very well then" Aurelius stood once more, prompting the entire congregation to stand as well, their ceremonial robes fluttering as they all stood hastily. "It seems that we have all come to an agreeable solution to this problem. If there are no further questions, I shall adjourn this meeting now."

There were several mutters and whispers but once more, no one spoke up against the Elder.

Aurelius nodded, satisfied with the sight before him. "There will be another congregation soon to exercise what we will do upon the encounter with Diana at this Institute. Otherwise, you are all free to leave. Many thanks for your attendance and cooperation, especially under such circumstances."

At these words, counselors and their aids alike began to file out of the heavy atmosphere of the room, eager to escape into the embracing warmth of the air and the sun outside. Pantheon, like all of the others, stood to leave as well. Cracking his neck, he hefted drew his ceremonial cloak once more over his head and followed the line of Rakkor that were leaving the room.

"Pantheon."

 _Dammit._ The young Rakkor tensed, recognizing the familiar voice much to his displeasure. He turned, annoyed to see Aurelius leaning tiredly against the marble walls. "Do you have a moment to spare with me my boy? There are certain things I would like to talk to you about upon your journey."

Pantheon's jaw tightened, but he maintained his composure.

"Yes?"

"First of all, allow me to be the first to thank you for volunteering to do this." Aurelius continued despite the very clear displeasure on the paragon's face. "As you already know, this won't be an easy task. It is important that you do not forget that Diana is a capable Solarian warrior and not to be taken lightly. Who knows what else she is capable of? The ability to slay several Elders should be well noted in along your journey Pantheon."

"And is that all you wished to tell me _Head Solarian Elder_?" Pantheon growled mockingly, "If you came to me solely to inform me on such obvious information, then you have wasted your time, and even more tragically, my time. I am no fool Aurelius. Do not ever take me for one lest you wish to make more enemies."

The Elder's eyes narrowed at his sharp words, his normally benevolent and friendly eyes taking on an uncharacteristic guarded look, "It's simply a reminder young warrior, no need to take my words so harshly. Whatever the case may be, your mission is to bring Diana back alive. She must not be slain upon the grounds of the Institute. We will not tolerate and provide any room for failure. Bring her to the mountain; and do it quickly."

"And do you think she will come of her own free will? You are a fool if you truly believe that Aurelius. Have you ever met the girl? It would not surprise me if she would rather fight me to the death than to be brought back to be humiliated!"

Aurelius ground his teeth. He of all people fully understood why Pantheon now held a grudge against him, but this was simply too much. Holding a grudge was one thing but disrespecting an Elder could not be tolerated. Past or not, the young Rakkor needed to respect the Elders like everyone else.

"Watch your tongue boy," Aurelius hissed, "Perhaps that may be true Pantheon, but by the gods of Targon, you will try or you will fall in your attempts. Her death will be the end of your role as a warrior in the Rakkor as well. She will be brought back alive or not at all. Is that clear to you?"

Pantheon glared at the Elder, his coals of anger seething in his abdomen as his stare intensified. Though the Rakkorian warrior was nearly a head taller than the Elder, Aurelius did not back down and held his own presence against him, facing right up against Pantheon's unspoken aggression. For a moment, they stood face to face, will clashing against will to see who would surrender first. The air between them was so thick with tension, one could almost swear you could cut it with a knife. Glare matched glare, despite the age between them. Then, Pantheon looked away.

"Very well Aurelius," Pantheon muttered, looking away. If he was to follow his orders, he might as well spare himself from having to look at the man. "If that is what you believe to be the best decision. Then I will follow it. I only hope it is better than the decisions of your past."

The paragon of the Rakkor turned away once more and swiftly exited the room, leaving the Elder alone once more in the great marble chamber.

* * *

The paragon sighed quietly to himself as he slowly but carefully sharpened his spear. He was finally back in his room after all of that nonsense; given to him when he had passed the Rite of Kor to officially become a member of the Rakkor's military. Here, he had more privacy, and given the fact he was nominated to be the paragon of the Rakkor allowed him more privileges as well. But that position did not come without its responsibilities. Now, he was to do something now other Rakkor had done before. Hunting a Solarian, Diana herself no less, was no easy feat. It was certainly not something he very much looked forward to.

Yet he himself had chosen the task as well as embraced the position, but not because it was something he felt he owed to the tribe. And it sure as hell wasn't for that damned fool Aurelius either. His leadership could be absolved in a power coup for all he cared. Putting down his spear, he examined his shield before putting it back beside its position to his other arsenal of weapons. Standing, his glance fell upon the set of building in the high distance.

Though he would never admit it out loud, his reason was for Leona. He understood that if not him, someone else would have been sent in his stead. And though he was not close to Diana as Leona or even Erix was, the other Rakkor would have most likely had no personal relevance at all. They would undoubtedly move on her with extreme prejudice, seeing for revenge of the Elders she had killed. And while the council had stated that the warrior sent after her to bring her back to Targon keep her alive, he knew that was a foolish request. Fighting would ensue, and Pantheon believed that the warrior sent would likely be overpowered by Diana and killed, inflaming the problem even further. And Leona would most likely get involved as well, pitting her against someone he knew she could not and would not kill. Diana would likely have no qualms however, and Leona would fall to her. He could not risk it.

And as much as he enjoyed the art of combat, this was not what he had come to love. This not war. This was not honorable fighting. This was the work of an executioner, chasing a criminal.

A knocking at his door drew his attention away from his thoughts. Slowly, Pantheon made his way to the entrance and opened it to reveal a Solarian messenger, dressed in their traditional gold attire.

"Yes?" Pantheon asked wearily. He was not sure what the Solari wanted with him. He did not believe that the Solari would try and stop him from moving to bring back Diana, but he could not say that the thought had never crossed his mind. His hand tightened around a knife hidden in the compartment of his cloak.

The messenger cleared his throat. "Solari Leona requests your presence at the Solarian encampment as soon as possible. She states it's urgent and that you see her at your first opportunity."

Pantheon was surprised. He was planning to visit her before he left but did not think she would have the power to summon him. He chuckled to himself for he had wondered how long it would be before she heard about his task. This was sure going to be interesting.

"I see. Thank you for the message. May the gods of Targon guide and bless your path."

The Solarian nodded respectfully to the paragon before disappearing in a wisp of sunlight. Closing the door once more, Pantheon turned to grab his weapons and supplies from the floor before turning around to leave. But for a moment longer, he gazed wistfully at the room around him once more. _How long would it be before he returned home?_

* * *

Dark. That was what Diana noticed immediately about her new surroundings. Not that she minded the protection it gave from the blazing sun, but it could provide attackers an advantage over her already weakened state. The crescent had guided her to this cave, but she still did not understand why. There was nothing here and she had already scoured the room for minutes to attempt to find what the crescent wanted her to see here. But so far, her work had borne no fruit.

Suddenly, Diana tripped on something in the darkness and she cursed as she fell to the ground.

 _You've got to be fucking kidding me._

The former Solari glared angrily at the object she had tripped over before ruefully turning away. What a god dam nuisance this darkness was. The fact that this square rock in the center didn't really he-

 _Wait. Square rock?_

It was just a hunch, but Diana crawled quickly over to examine the rock she had tripped on. She drew her blade, illuminating the room with its pulsating moonlight as she took a closer look at the rock. It was a slab of marble, but that was not what really caught her attention. Instead, on the center was of the stone was a single L inscribed its surface, the character delicately and intricately carved.

She could not resist but reach out a hand and touch it. Resting her hand on it, she ran her finger over its smooth surface, etching out the pattern so well ingrained in the stone. For a moment, Diana could hear nothing but her own heartbeat and the coldness of the cave's air on her skin. Suddenly, she heard a large crack and the sound of rocks crumbling behind her. She turned to see the once great wall of solid rock that had blocked her path in the cavern now eroding to nothing more than a few pebbles rolling around in the dirt. There was now a huge opening that seemed to beckon to her to cross its chasm.

 _Subtle enough I suppose._

She walked through the now opened cavern, ducking under the low arch way. In a moment, she entered a large room even more grand than the first cavern. Gigantic pillars upheld the ceiling, decorated and engraved with scenes of battle and the art of magic. Symbols and images, some of which Diana recognized, of great battles and wars hung along the stone walls. Strange swords and beautiful mage staffs lined themselves below the symbols. She stood, gawking at the powerful scene around her, so well hidden beneath a ton of rock.

"Quite the scenery even down here in this drafty cavern eh?"

Diana snapped to the sudden sound, instantly on guard as she instinctively held her blade in a defensive position towards the direction of the voice. But instead of a heavily armored warrior, there was simply a short but stout old man sitting by a small pot of steaming golden fluid. Diana blinked. She could have sworn she had not seen anyone when she first entered the room. And yet here the man was.

"Oi," he chortled at her reaction, "Quite the jumpy one ain't ya? Well girlie, looks like you got some nerves. Don't worry though. I'm no enemy."

"You'd be surprised at the amount of people who want me dead," Diana responded. She paused, not quite sure exactly to go with this conversation. "Er...who exactly are you?"

"Me?" The stout man chuckled, "I'm but simple doorman, though the councilors tell me different. The name's Estus, watcher of the lower gateways at your service."

Diana smirked slightly at the mention of his name. "Estus? Is that your real name?"

"Oi, Oi now" the short stout man growled at her response, "It certainly ain't nice to make fun of my name. Besides, it's not the worst name in the family. One of my cousins is named Gragas. Now there's a man who has to be weary along with all of them dam barrels he has to carry around. Wonder how he does that with all that weight he's got on 'em…" He laughed at his own joke, seemingly forgetting Diana was there for a moment.

"Well…what exactly do you do here Estus?"

"Ah bollocks," he muttered, "I went on rambling again." He stood, as much as a short man such as himself could stand, and faced the warrior. "Well, in the simplest terms I am the guardian to the Institute. It's what you're seeking right?"

Diana nodded, "How did you know that?"

"Ah, your friend in the sky told me. But at any rate, you've come to quite the interesting place if I do say so myself." Estus spread his hands around at the room. "This is an old abandoned entrance to the League. It was used many years ago in the Rune Wars and then later turned into a monastery but that was abandoned later on as well. Few know of its existence and even fewer have ever laid eyes upon it. How you ended up here I certainly don't get but you are here nonetheless."

Estus motioned to Diana, "Cme're."

The former Solarian wearily moved closer to the pot of liquid gold that Estus had been standing next to all this time. "Take a drink of this 'ere. And when ya done, head on through the doorway there." He pointed towards the arched opening ahead of them. "That'll take ya where you want to go. You've already had the long hard path eh? Hope ya find things better on the other side."

Diana turned to glance at the doorway, squinting her eyes through the veiled darkness to attempt to see what was beyond but she could not. It was simply just too dark. She shook her head.

"Very well. Thank you for yo-" Diana stopped. Estus was nowhere to be seen. All that remained of the stout man was the bubbling cauldron of golden liquid that still bubbled happily. But beside the pot was a single phrase etched in the dirt that had certainly not been there before. She smiled as she read it. Taking a quick swig of the soup, she rose to her feet once more and advanced towards the dark doorway.

 _Welcome to the League of Legends._

* * *

Pantheon stopped in front of the small familiar house that was Leona's. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door, his finger making a hollow sound against the wooden frame. He lingered on the doorstep for a brief moment before the door creaked open to reveal the figure he had been waiting earnestly to see.

There was the prodigy of the Solari, dressed in a messy tunic, her hair in quite the mess. Certainly not the best for wear. Pantheon chuckled inwardly at her appearance.

"You called for me?"

Leona frowned at his words. "Yeah. Get inside."

"What? Leona, I don't think that it would be a great idea for us to remain alone in your ro-"

She cut him off, roughly pulling him inside of her house armor and all. She quickly closed the door and turned around to face an uncharacteristically nervous Pantheon. She was sure acting… aggressive.

"Leona… what's wrong? You're not like yourself…"

Leona drew a deep breath as she watched her childhood companion stand before her. Her friend. Her protector. Her love.

"I've heard from other Solari around that you volunteered to take down Diana. That you volunteered to kill her if she refused to cooperate. Is that true?" she asked in a quiet voice.

Pantheon stood stunned for a moment before he could even respond. Was that the rumor going around the other Solarian members? The slander among of him among the Solari must have spread quicker than he anticipated.

"Leona, you know it's not…" he said softly, "I know how important Diana is to you. The original mission statement given by Aurelius was to bring her back to Targon. There's not going to be an-"

"Pantheon, you know that's not even remotely the truth," the warrior of sunlight growled, "We both know dam well that Diana isn't going to come back on her own will! She, as well as you and I, both know of the consequences if she does." Leona paused, "How could you have volunteered to pursue her knowing that?"

"And what if I didn't? The Rakkor and Solari would have sent someone else regardless whether or not I would have chosen the duty! It is something that I owe to the Rakkor and the Solari to do. No one else should have to die chasing Diana!" Pantheon retaliated, his voice strained at her outburst

Leona froze at his words. Her voice, no matter no hard she tried, would not work. Of all the people she regarded, she never thought _he_ would hurt her. He was supposed to be the one to stay with her, to be with her.

"And what if you die?" she croaked, barely able to utter the words, "What if you don't come back to me? Our relationship might be an infant one, but do you care so little for it that you would throw your life away? What about _us_ Pantheon? Have you forgotten so quickly?"

The paragon of war stood conflicted. So _that's_ what she was concerned about. _Of course_ he valued her like no other person he knew. She was his light, his key. But there was no way she would understand. She might have been of the Rakkor but she had never been fully invested in the art of war. This was a matter of tradition and honor for the Rakkor, and tradition was something Leona did not care for.

"You have to understand, it's not like that…"

"Then what is it like?"

Pantheon, in a flash, surged forward and grabbed Leona by the hands and pulled her close to him until she was chest to chest with the warrior. She was surprised at first, then struggled against his grasp angrily but Pantheon held on with an iron grip until she slowly stopped pushing against him.

The paragon let out a sigh, tucking the top of her head under his chin. She felt so warm against him, even through all of his armor she radiated warmth. How he would miss this feeling when he would be away.

"There is nothing more I value in this world than your companionship Leona," he confessed quietly into her hair, the auburn strands tickling his nose. Though his admission stung his pride, he continued on, "I couldn't do without you. But as Rakkor, this is a duty I have to do. By hand by sword, by foot by war, this is something I can't avoid."

Leona closed her eyes and leaned heavily against him, inhaling that familiar scent of metal and armor. By the gods, she wanted to be selfish with him but she knew Pantheon was right. It was his duty. To uphold the art of war. To grace the name of its leaders. To serve without fear and with faith. But she couldn't shrug off the sense of an ominous foreboding.

"Fine, I'll let you win this time…but if you don't return to me Pantheon, by the gods of Targon I will find you in the afterlife and beat you half to death." She murmured.

Pantheon smirked at her threat. Though, in the back of his mind, he wholeheartedly believed it.

"How about you come to me then if you're so worried? After all, I'm sure you could manage it."

"Very well paragon of war, if that is what you want, then I'll join you at this Institute Give me 1 month." she replied.

"Oh? And how am I to know that you'll keep that promise huh?"

She chuckled in response and removed Pantheon's large helm.

"Here's something to seal the deal."

The warrior of sunlight pressed her lips against his, her hands hooking themselves around his neck as he deepened the kiss. His hands trailed down to the lean muscles of her lower back, holding her steady against him they stood, embracing each other for an unknown time. He could have stayed there forever, inhaling her sweet scent that was so intoxicating.

"Ahem."

Reluctantly, Pantheon broke the kiss and turned to the sound of the voice. There stood the messenger, red faced at the scene he had intruded upon.

"What?" Pantheon snarled, clearly unhappy to be interrupted.

"Uh," the young boy swallowed nervously, "The procession is leaving paragon. Aurelius has called for your departure."

Pantheon sighed and turned once more the woman in his arms.

"1 month," he whispered against her "I'll be waiting for you."

* * *

Footsteps pounded on the paved road as a figure ran by. It moved swiftly, occasionally checking behind it to ensure no one was following. Passing by the main buildings of the camp, the hooded figure slipped into a small concave concealed by a layer of heavy moss by the side of the road.

The dark shadow stepped into an area that seemed like a church. Medallions of suns hung along the walls. Benches were nearly set up in orderly rows and a dais was placed at the front of it all. And at the front of the dais stood 3 more hooded figures, but their garbs were embed with ceremonial jewels and symbols whose understanding has been lost to the ages.

Slowly, the dark figure approached the trio and knelt, its head bowed low so that it nearly touched the gravel beneath it.

"Ah, your old habits die persist young one," an old voice suddenly rasped from the center figure, "We were to convene here at 3 past noon were we not? And yet you are late, dirty none the less."

"Forgive me my Lord," the figure groveled even lower, "The circumstances in which I had to come here on were not easy. Suspicion and tensions run high among the Solari and they watch any who deviate from normal behavior."

"Ah, young Solarian, you have much to learn about prudence."

" **Enough chatter** ," boomed the second figure to the left, He turned to hover above the kneeling shadow, " **Son of Aldrin, as you may know, the one who has betrayed us had left much turmoil and chaos in her wake. Furthermore, the continual existence of her life serves as an example for dissent in our ranks. This cannot happen. She must die; there is no time for a trial."**

"I am honored sire, but I cannot kill her myself. I am not strong as she is in the body," the dark figure replied, "Surely she would kill me first."

The center figure let out a raspy laugh, "Ah, but you are not alone. The upstart Aurelius has sent his best to deal with her. Their battle will be great and from it, you will find your opportunities there young one. I have foreseen the future and it is possible. We have chosen you with great care and we believe you can succeed. That leaves only one thing."

" **Will you, son of Aldrin, take the mantle of responsibility to strike down those who have struck at the Solari?"**

"….I do."

" **Will you remain faithful to the covenant at all costs, laying your life down should it be deemed necessary by its ideals and its leaders?"**

"..I swear it."

" **And if the time comes for the Solari to fall, will you remain faithful and loyal to its foundation until you breathe your last?"**

"Yes, I pledge my soul and body alike."

" **Then rise, young one, for your purpose has now begun. Strike down those who would break us and defy us! You will leave for the Institute as soon as possible. Do not fail. The Solari counts on you."**

* * *

 _hey yo, your boy here with another update. This one took me a while to think of the substance, hope you guys like it C:._

 _Also, I've been trying to change my writing style to distinguish more formal conversations and less formal conversations between certain characters, so be on the lookout of that._

 _Quick thanks to Miss Yaoi Hands for some tips; best Talon Quinn writer on the site._

 _Story Notes and Canon: Pantheon's got an ego for sure, not as big though when it comes to dealing with Leona._

 _He still hates Aurelius alot tho._

 _Diana one of the most gifted and pragmatic students, given how she's been in the Solari since a very early age._

 _Enjoy!_

 _Until Next Time dear reader,_

 _C. Geng_


End file.
